The Blade in Me
by PandoraNaflink
Summary: At eleven years old, the girls decided to make a new sister; now five years later, she returns to their school with none other than the Rowdyruffs, but why are they protecting her? What has changed in the years they dissapeared? RRB/PPG VampWolfWitch!Fic
1. Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice

__Alrighty, so this is an all-new little PPG&RRB story that I came up with. I really love my 'OC's' and I think you're going to like this one. *winkwink* ^^ Now, pairings are going to include some Brick&Blossom Bubbles&Boomer and some Buttercup&Butch but... you'll see where it leads later. For now, we're in the world where the Powerpuffs and Ruffs are eleven!

***NOTE* - This story will mention a few things that have happened in the past, i.e in my previous story 'Follow the Leader' if you want to understand Blossom and Brick's rocky relationship then go ahead and read Follow the Leader, you don't have to, but this story will make more sense that way. :)**

ENJOY! x

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><p><em>The Blade in Me<em>

_Chapter 1  
><em>

"AHHHHHH!"

The Powerpuff girls were at it again, saving Townsville once more against their newest rival, a giant monster with burning red eyes, seemingly made up of a deep blue goo compound that the girls were finding trouble to beat.

"Come on!" Blossom yelled, dodging one of the creature's arms as she burnt it away with her laser vision, only for the creature to reattach it in the few seconds it took the pink Powerpuff to reposition herself, "School starts soon!"

And she was right; the three eleven year old Powerpuffs had only recently started upper level education which each girl was finding difficult in their own ways.

"I don't care!" Buttercup yelled, dripping with blue goo as she attempted to take a swing at the monster, only to be absorbed once more. "UGH!" She yelled, driving herself outwards with brute force, "this is going nowhere fast!"

"Ew, ew, _EW!_" Bubbles screamed as she smashed her body through the creature's legs, only incapacitating it for a few moments as it swerved dangerously close to the surrounding buildings. Bubbles' bottom lip quivered as she took into notice the state of her clothes, covered in the foul scented goo. "M-my new dress," she sighed, shaking her head and attempting to throw some of the solution from her pigtails with force, "r-ruined!"

"I have an idea, girls get back!" Blossom called as the two other Powerpuffs paused, looking over to their sister and narrowly dodging another attack as the monster let out a feral howl.

Like shots, the two sisters appeared behind Blossom as she took in a deep breath, "get ready," she gasped; sucking in the last of the air she could manage before she blew out a swirl of frozen air. Buttercup and Bubbles watched in awe as the frosty air circled around the creature as it howled once more. The ice bore into the creature's body, freezing each and every particle of goo that it was made up of.

Blossom narrowed her eyes, "go for the head!" she instructed as her sisters nodded.

Buttercup's new longer hair whipped in the breeze as she and Bubbles moved to opposite sides of the creature. With one nod of the head, the two Powerpuffs hurtled towards the creature's neck, decapitating it as it fell to the ground, shattering.

Buttercup wiped a hand over her forehead tiredly, "man... that took it out of me, oh well, I guess no school for today then!" Buttercup rose her head slyly as she began to fly back home, only for each of her sisters to take a firm hold of her.

Blossom narrowed her eyes at her sister, the glimmer of authority shining brightly through her pink orbs, "we have homework to give in, this isn't Pokey Oaks Buttercup, we have _real _responsibility at school now!"

Buttercup stuck her tongue out in disgust, "we're super heroes Blossom, I doubt school is really _that _important..."

"Blossom's right, Buttercup." Bubbles nodded towards their leading sister, "School's important! Besides, we have career day today... we get to miss half our lessons!"

Buttercup grinned, "well why didn't you say so!" she beamed, looking over herself quickly, "ugh, gross, we smell like garbage,"

The girls individually inspected themselves, wrinkling their noses in disgust to find bits of goo stuck to their clothing, hair and skin...

"Okay, we shower, get ready for school and _then_ go!" Blossom insisted taking the lead as happy, cheering citizens of Townsville watched the fading flood of pink, blue and green light disappear into the sky.

"Man..." Buttercup sighed as she pulled on her dress, "things just seemed so much easier back when we were pre-schoolers."

Bubbles sat in front of their mirror, combing her pigtails, "yeah," she sighed, staring deep into her own reflection, her absent blue eyes gazing back at her, reflecting the exhaustion she'd been battling with ever since they'd started upper education almost five months ago. "Back when there wasn't homework or big tests or or..."

"Girls!" Blossom flew into the room, tying up her long red locks with a single pink hair tie, "Please tell me Buttercup hasn't rubbed off on you?" she asked to Bubbles hopelessly.

"I ain't rubbed off on no one!" Buttercup cried, "I'm just sayin'... it's so much harder to balance school work now."

Blossom rolled her shoulders, her eyes gazing towards the windows, "it's not so bad, the Mayor has us on speed dial, we have his number on our cell phones and we can be excused to fight crime..."

"No!" Buttercup cried, raising her arms, "I swear, in maths, Miss Right seriously had the guts to stop me from fighting that massive squid last week 'cause of a stupid test!"

Blossom blinked, "well yes but-"

"-And I almost couldn't help defeat Mojo because I had to re-write an essay!" Bubbles added, folding her arms childishly, "I told the teacher that Townsville could be destroyed with that death ray he was using but he said I had to wait!" Bubbles stuck her tongue out to no one in particular, "apparently school work is more important than saving the day!"

Blossom sighed, floating over to her sisters who had now both sat themselves on the bed and were looking angrily at the floor. Blossom landed in between them, putting an arm around their shoulders, "we're the Powerpuff girls," she reminded, "no one ever said it was going to be easy,"

"Yeah, but at this rate, the whole city could get destroyed!" Buttercup defended, wriggling out from Blossom's arms, "I say we take action!"

"Yeah!" Bubbles smiled, standing up on the bed. She paused and looked at Buttercup, "wait... what kind of action?"

"Wait! Hold up, no action... we _should _be going to school... it's what the Professor wanted!" Blossom tried but failed to sway her sister's minds back onto the track of a good education.

Buttercup grinned, folding her arms, "there just aren't enough of us..."

"No!" Blossom instantly rose above her sister, "you can't possibly be suggesting..."

"We were five then!" Buttercup sighed, floating into the air as if to address her sisters like they were the voting public, "we're older now... we know more about this stuff, just what to add to make the perfect new addition to our team! A new sister, someone who can stay out of school and fight crime when we can't!"

Blossom closed her eyes and shook her head sadly, "Buttercup, no. That's my final answer. We're not doing it." She looked towards Bubbles who was staring blankly at Buttercup, "come on Bubbles, let's go to school."

Blossom was just about to fly through the window when suddenly she heard a weak reply from Bubbles.

"No."

Blossom turned back to see that Bubbles had joined Buttercup, rising above their leading sister.

"Sorry?" Blossom asked, her mouth slightly a gape.

"I'm sorry Blossom... but no," Bubbles replied shakily, looking towards Buttercup, "We could help save Townsville with a new sister... plus, wouldn't it be great to have someone else to share with?"

Blossom was speechless, she could feel rage bubble within her but she refused to let it out. Instead she let the pain of their last new sibling wash over her. Her lips fell into a small frown as she looked at her sisters, "don't you remember what happened to Bunny?" she sighed. She could see Bubble's bottom lip quiver as she remembered their poor 'special' sister whom they'd watched explode right before their very eyes.

"B-bunny..." Bubbles whispered; her voice shaking as she forced herself not to cry.

Buttercup frowned at Blossom, "nice try, but that wasn't our fault... she was, she was... she was unstable!" Buttercup was forcing her own tears back now, rubbing at her face vigorously as if she could physically _push _them back into her skull. "We know better now... we know the right ingredients... I mean sticks and sweetener? What were we thinking?"

Blossom shook her head, landing on the ground, "I don't think this is a good idea..."

"But Blossom... a new sister... to play games with... to have another one of us... to relate to... someone who can be there when we can't."

Blossom felt her head nod along. How great it would be to have a new sister... to share her thoughts with... to teach the ways of the world that her sisters regrettably refused. If they did it correctly... this could mean...

"What about the Professor?" Blossom asked suddenly.

Bubble's eyes widened, "I don't think he'd like it if we suddenly had a new sister," Bubbles said guiltily as she looked to the floor.

Buttercup rolled her eyes, "he'd learn to adjust... besides, he's out getting supplies for a new experiment, the lab is all ours!"

"What about school?" Blossom insisted, folding her arms.

"Say there was an emergency... I dunno, The Rowdyruff boys! Now they're a pain in the butt."

Blossom instantly felt her face heat up, but quickly disregarded it as she looked away from her sisters. That was _one _secret that she would keep like her life depended on it.

"So are you with us Blossom?" Buttercup asked.

Blossom sighed, "this is a badly thought out plan that doesn't seem to consider the variables for the future for example if this is a success then where is she going to sleep... or if it's _not _a success then what are we going to do? Either way we're going to be in a serious amount of trouble with the-" Blossom broke off her monologue to find herself alone in the bedroom. She groaned, rolling her eyes, "hey wait!" she yelled as she sped after her sisters.

Upon finding them in the lab, already holding a large bowl, Blossom knew there was nothing she could do to stop her sisters. If she wasn't around... something was going to go wrong.

Besides, what's the worst that could happen with a new sister? She might actually enjoy having the company... if she planned this out perfectly she could have a sister that shared her smarts, her attitude... that could help her out in educational crisis and together they could have a one up against Bubbles and Buttercup.

Always.

"Okay... so sugar!" Bubbles said, disappearing for a moment and reappearing with a large bag of pure sugar, "this is the right kind of sugar that the Professor used right?" she asked her sisters. Blossom flew over to the other two who had surrounded themselves around the bowl, "I think so... go ahead, put it in..."

"Alright, spice... we have those in the cupboards," Buttercup disappeared and reappeared with assorted spices.

Blossom examined each one and then nodded to Buttercup, signalling that she could add them to the bowl.

"Everything nice!" Bubbles giggled, adding paper hearts, stars, unicorns and other things she found nice, "this is the stuff the Professor used!" she beamed, "he used to tell me about it as a bed time story."

Buttercup rolled her eyes, "no duh, he used to tell _all _of us about it after that Bunny incident."

"Right... okay, girls split up, let's find the chemical X." Blossom said as Bubbles and Blossom disappeared in different directions in a flash of blue and pink light.

Leaving Buttercup with the bowl...

Buttercup floated over to the bowl, the spices in her hands, "if I add a little extra spice... I could make her tougher... so she can beat those monsters on her own... like me!" she grinned to herself, pouring in the extra spices that she carried, quickly disposing of them before Bubbles and Blossom returned, very carefully carrying a container of Chemical X.

"Where did you find that?" Buttercup asked, wide eyed.

Blossom smiled, "the Professor keeps a very secret stash... I took it upon myself to memorise the code for his special safe."

Buttercup grinned, "I'm impressed miss leader, look who turned out to be a bit of a bad girl?"

Blossom rolled her eyes; "I'm doing this for the benefit of our team..." she defended lightly.

All three girls put a hand on the container of chemical X, holding it steadily above the bowl as slowly and surely they each, together, as one... poured the chemical X into the container.

_BANG_

The girls were thrown back into separate corners of the room as a large light exploded from the bowl, spitting a light smoke around the room with a hot hiss.

Together, the girls got up, coughing as they attempted to clear the smoke from the room.

"Oh," Buttercup began,

"My," Blossom gasped.

"Gosh." Bubbles squealed, staring wide eyed at the glowing creation before them.

Blossom's heart tightened in her chest.

_Had they done it?_

_Had they really done it!_

_Had they really created their perfect new sister?_

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><p><em><em>Stay tuned for a new chapter where the new character is revealed. Did the girls really create a new sister? Hm, you'll find out won't you! :3 x


	2. Blade

Okay, so this is chapter 2! :3 Thank you for the reviews, I'm glad you like it so far! This introduces my OC, I hope you like her. ^^

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><p><em>Chapter 2<em>

As the smoke cleared, the girls looked up in astonishment, each of their mouths slightly a gape as the light around the figure cleared to reveal...

_An eleven year old Powerpuff!_

But it was more than that...

Her eyes were a misty grey, narrowed slightly... almost, _viciously. _Her hair was long and stretched far past her shoulders in long unruly spikes; it was the colour of a grey fog, almost light enough to mistake it for white... but dark enough to correct yourself about it afterwards. Her dress was the same as the girls, grey with a black stripe through it...

_Except,_

It was torn in several places, there was a hole in her white tights and her black shoes, identical to her sister's were scuffed and dirty though she had only been created moments beforehand.

"Whoa!" Buttercup grinned, narrowing her eyes, "she looks tough."

Blossom watched as the Powerpuff girl floated in front of them, examining the three as if they were experiments of some kind.

"Who the Hell are you?" the girl suddenly spoke. Her voice was rough, but unmistakably female. She wiped the back of her hand over her nose in a boyish fashion as she landed on the ground in front of the girls, disappearing in a flash of grey light, appearing next to each silent sibling before she returned to the front once more.

"Hi!" Bubbles greeted with a grin, "I'm Bubbles!"

"Buttercup," Buttercup smirked.

"And I'm... I'm Blossom, we're... we're..." Blossom felt lost in the aggressive gaze of her new sister.

"We're your sisters!" Bubbles smiled, raising her arms in a childish glee.

The grey eyed girl lowered her gaze on the girls, "The name's Blade, on account of my hair being the colour of one." Blade's smile was dark... _too _dark for a Powerpuff. As Blossom stood before the girl, she knew they'd made a terrible mistake.

"So, what do you guys do then?" Blade asked as she leant against one of the Professor's work benches.

"We save the day and junk... y'know as super heroes do," Buttercup tried to act nonchalant around the new girl, as if she had a chance to have a clean slate with her. Blossom nudged her in the arm to which she narrowed her eyes, "quit it," Buttercup hissed.

Blossom rolled her eyes.

Blade scoffed, folding her arms, "you save the day?" She asked sarcastically, "how lame."

Blossom instantly narrowed her eyes, "it's not lame! Because of us, the City of Townsville is safe from _all _danger!"

Blade rolled her eyes, looking up at the ceiling, "doubt it," she smiled, sticking out her tongue slightly.

The girls shared looks with each other before Bubbles rose her voice, "Urm... what exactly do you mean by that?" she asked weakly.

Blade looked at the three girls and laughed, "sorry girls, but you might have created me and all... and thanks I guess for doin' that but there's no way I'm hanging around here being a goody-good like you losers!"

"What!" Buttercup growled.

"B-but... you're our sister," Bubbles tried.

Blossom just kept a steady glare at the grey Powerpuff. Her smile was dark and set an uneasiness in her soul. She didn't know _what _had happened but this kid was bad news.

Blade put a hand to her heart in mocked hurt, "Oh, I'm sorry I hurt your ickol feelings and all," she began to rise from the ground, high above her sisters, "see you around dorks!"

The girls winced as Blade crashed through the ceiling, covering their heads with their arms as pieces of the ceiling fell to the ground.

Buttercup looked at the grey stream of light that painted itself across the sky and felt her body tremble.

_That extra spice... this is my fault... all mine!_

"I-I don't believe it," Bubbles sighed as the girls stood perplexed by the gaping hole in the ceiling.

"According to what we added... I was so sure it should have been a success," Blossom let her shoulders slump in defeat, "M-maybe, we're just not cut out for doing this..."

Buttercup frowned, folding her arms and looking away, "Yeah... y'know it was probably gonna happen no matter _what _we did."

Buttercup winced as she felt her sister's gazes land on her. She rubbed her neck in a nonchalant fashion as she made a move to fly away.

"Wait!" Blossom had already grabbed her by the shoulder, "Buttercup... please tell me this had nothing to do with you!"

Buttercup narrowed her eyes, "_What? _How could I have possibly done something to... to...?"

Buttercup watched Bubble's glistening eyes and Blossom's stern expression as they each looked at her, silently prying her for her honest answer. "I..." Buttercup sighed, "Okay, I added a bit more spice when you were looking for the Chemical X."

"Buttercup!" Blossom yelled, "have you _any _idea how reckless that was?"

"How was I s'posed to know it'd make her evil!"

"Oh I don't know, maybe if you'd listened to what the Professor told us, you'd know that the spice was the main component to create the brute force within a Powerpuff girl, it's where we get our strength Buttercup!" Blossom yelled, her eyes blazing a fierce pink, "This is _your _fault!"

"_My _fault! You're supposed to be the leader! If you thought it was such a bad idea, why didn't you stop me!"

"_Because _you're so hot-headed you wouldn't have listened!" Blossom cried.

"Oh yeah!"

"Yeah!"

"SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UUUP!" Bubbles screamed, tearing at her pigtails in a desperate plea to get her sisters to listen. She looked at them both, shaking her head sadly, "it doesn't matter who did what." She sighed, looking through the hole in the ceiling, "Blade is loose... and from how she acted... I don't think she's going to be easy to defeat."

Blossom and Buttercup looked at each other angrily for half a second before rolling their eyes at each other.

"We find her," Buttercup resolved.

"We take her down!" Blossom finished with a grin.

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><p>The sun was getting lower in the sky as the folk of Townsville were still out and about, buying stuff from the markets and picking up conversations with friends on the streets. No one saw it coming when a streak of red, green and blue took form in the skies, swooping down and causing mischief. From the park, a child was heard crying as their precious doll was taken out of their hands. Butch stood a few feet from the child, holding the doll up in torment, "aw, baby wants her dolly?" he mocked, ripping the head off without a second thought leaving the child in hysterics.<p>

On the other side of town, a red streak flew past a man who'd just bought a bag of candy for his young son. The man was instantly taken out with one fierce blow as Brick stood laughing darkly from the sidelines observing as Boomer collected the candy that had been dropped from the blow.

"Man, that was fun." Brick grinned as his brothers nodded in agreement, meeting up in around the centre of town.

"Now what?" Butch asked.

"Hey look!"

Brick and Butch looked to where Boomer was pointing in the sky, where a stream of grey light was painting itself delicately across Townsville, "it's the Powerpuff losers!" Boomer sneered.

"Shut it idiot, it ain't them!" Brick hissed, hitting his brother in the arm. He squinted slightly, attempting to get a better focus on the very fast moving object, "what the heck is that!"

The three Rowdyruff boys gasped in astonishment as they watched the grey light fly past them, a figure of a grey haired girl taking the light's place as she landed just a few metres from where they stood, her face pressed against the glass window of a jewellery store.

"Who the Hell is that!" Butch yelled, to which he was quickly silenced by Brick with a fist to his face.

"Shut it!" Brick growled, pulling his brothers back behind one of the buildings nearby, "we gotta know more about this kid."

The Rowdyruffs watched in intrigue as the grey haired girl stared adoringly at a pair of black hair bands with small metal skulls sewn onto them on display in a box on the further right of the shop's window. Within seconds, the girl took in the people around her and with one fast move; she smashed her fist into the glass, laughing darkly as the window shattered around her arm.

"What the..." Boomer gasped.

"That ain't no Powerpuff girl whatever it is..." Brick said lowly, "she's new."

Blade laughed hysterically as she felt the glass cascade over her arm, barely leaving a scratch. She grabbed the hair bands carelessly and moved onto the next shop window to use as a mirror. She poked her tongue out slightly, watching her reflection as she tied her hair into two rough, long spiked pigtails, the skulls on her hair bands quite profound in her unruly hair.

As Blade finished with her second pigtail, she was instantly on alert as she saw the reflections of not only herself, but three boys in colour co-ordinated clothing staring at her with wide eyes.

Blade instantly turned around, a murderous intent in her gaze as she held out a hand, a ball of grey energy already growing in it, "Who the Hell are you?"

The green boy with thick ebony locks of unruly hair seemed to narrow his eyes at her, taking a step forward as if he'd already been threatened, "No way! You don't get to say that... who the Hell are _you_!"

Blade scoffed, folding her arms, "Blade," she smiled simply, taking in the physical features of the boys. The one in the middle had red eyes and long, messy ginger hair with a red cap on back to front, the green boy was on his right and on his left was a blonde boy with blue eyes, his hair swooped in an odd fashion that for some reason reminded her of Bubbles... the girl she was supposedly related to in a strange kind of fashion.

The red boy in the centre seemed to be the leader as he took it upon himself to speak for the two surrounding him, "the name's Brick, these are my brothers Butch and Boomer." Brick narrowed his eyes towards Blade, taking a step forward, "mind explaining what you're doing on _our _turf?"

Blade rolled her eyes, "you got turf do you now?"

"Yeah!" Boomer yelled, "And you're on it!"

Blade smirked slightly, "looks like you were dropped at birth... but from your familiar looks I'm guessin' there was no birth."

The three boys looked at each other and shrugged, "what would a sissy girl like you wanna know that for?" Brick hissed.

Blade rolled her eyes, "Dunno... I guess what I really wanna know is whether you're like the Powerpuff girls."

Butch made fake retching sounds as Brick looked towards Blade with the same intensity he would have given if she'd walked over to him and calmly slapped him across the face. His eyes instantly flashed a dangerous, darker red to what Blade had seen before. "We're nothing like the Powderpuff losers!" he snarled.

Blade shrugged, rubbing the back of her neck, "Oh... it's just... from the way that you _look..."_

"AH!" Butch yelled, suddenly in front of Blade as he grabbed her by the throat, pushing her up against the shop window, "those Powderpuffs are wimps, we ain't wimps, we ain't no sissy girls cleaning up the town."

"Yeah, we're the Rowdyruff boys!" Brick grinned.

Blade rolled her eyes, "Please," she breathed, driving her knee directly into Butch's chest forcing him to let go as he fell onto his knees, gasping for breath by the Powerpuff's attack, "it was just a simple question and..." Blade paused to turn sarcastically towards the leader boy, "'Rowdyruff boys?' _Please, _such a lame title."

"Shut up!" Brick growled, already inches from Blade's face as he took in her features, "if you ain't no Powderpuff then who the Hell are you?"

Blade looked away lazily, fiddling with a strand of her hair as she watched Brick fume on the spot. It was rather entertaining... though,

She sighed.

"Alright," she smirked, bowing slightly, "you got me... I'm a sugar, spice and everything nice sorta girl." She frowned suddenly, her face taking on a serious glow, "but I'm not a Powerpuff... well I guess I sorta am," she laughed half-heartedly, "weird... I guess I'm a little too much spice, not enough sugar." She looked back at the boys, "I won't be fighting no monsters, I'm more of the steal and maim kinda girl, if you got a problem with that then-"

Blade broke off as she dodged a sudden ball of green energy from Butch's hands. His eyes were glowing fiercely and as Blade took in the expressions of the other Rowdyruff's she realised he wasn't the only one.

"You're just a girl!" Butch growled.

"Yeah, no girl is gonna beat up the people _we _can!" Boomer added, throwing a ball of blue energy at the grey villain.

Blade rolled her eyes, floating up into the air, "catch me then boys," she smirked, narrowing her eyes as she floated away almost seductively, lulling her new-found enemies towards her with a simple motion of her index finger, "I _dare _you."

Blade laughed hysterically as she flew as fast as she could away from the three siblings. She couldn't help it; to her the entire thing was one big game.

Blade chuckled as she swerved in the sky, dodging Brick's lasers that he shot from his eyes in an attempt to grab the girl.

"Cheater!" Blade moaned sarcastically as she turned on her back, flying backwards as she threw a ball of grey energy in the boy's direction.

On instinct, the boys split up to allow the ball of energy to pass by them, what they didn't expect was for the ball to rumble as it split into three smaller energy balls right before their very eyes, "naughty," Blade tutted, laughing darkly as the energy collided into each Rowdyruff boy individually as they crashed to the ground.

Blade lay on her back in the air, grinning deeply as she closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the feel of the cool afternoon air reach the back of her neck where her pigtails parted.

Suddenly, she heard the familiar sound of three super villains take to the air. Blade frowned, moving to turn back around, when suddenly she felt a set of hands clamp around her arms.

"GET OFF!" She screamed, writhing around as she tried to turn her head.

"Hah, stupid girl," Brick grinned,

"Yeah, you're no match for us!" Boomer and Butch echoed together as each of their hands began to heat up with their assorted colours. Blade groaned as she felt an electronic surge begin to make its way up her arm. Blade tried to pull away, but she was too late as her entire body was doused with the boy's power, sending her hurtling towards the ground.

The boys laughed, high-fiving each other menacingly as they cheered to themselves.

"Hah what a sissy girl!" Boomer grinned, sticking his tongue out towards the city.

"Yeah! Just another stupid Powderpuff who thought she had a chance," Butch growled.

Brick didn't join in with the victory cheers, instead his eyes were narrowed as he looked down towards the centre of the city, "don't be so sure guys," Brick muttered, "she ain't like those other Powderpuffs... this ain't over-"

"What isn't over?"

All three boys gasped as they felt Blade's hands land on their shoulders, sending their joint energy force straight into their bodies. Blade laughed out loud, revelling in the sound of their pained screams, watching them with a glint in her eye as they fell to the ground once more. She smiled to herself, listening to their three individual collisions with the cement... feeling the vibrations of the crash tickle her as she flew down to meet her match once more.

"Well, well, _well..._" Blade grinned, watching the boys struggle out of the large craters they'd created from the fall. Brick rubbed his face angrily as he was the first to appear; his face and clothes scuffed with dirt didn't faze him as he flew towards the Powerpuff with a murderous intent.

"Ah, ah, ah." Blade teased, grabbing the Ruff's arm as she threw him against his brothers who had just about steadied themselves on the road. Blade folded her arms, "looks to me like we're evenly matched."

"No way!" Boomer growled.

"You're kiddin' me!" Butch snarled.

Brick held up a hand, narrowing his eyes towards his brothers, "shut it losers," he quipped, folding his arms as his red eyes shifted towards Blade, the dark glow that had been engulfed in his gaze slowly faded as he took a step back. "You're stronger than the Powerpuffs," Brick began, rubbing his face, "you don't want nothing to do with them..."

Blade rolled her eyes, "Oh God no, they lacked in style _and _sense, I mean super cool powers and they were wasting them on _other people!"_

Brick smirked, "Alright then," he grinned.

"Alright what?" Blade returned with a questioning glare.

"Alright, I think we can work summin' out." Brick grinned.

"_What?" _Boomer yelled.

"With a girl!" Butch added, appearing by his brother as if he'd lost his mind, "you're kiddin' me right?"

"Shut it!" Brick yelled, pushing his green brother backwards as he moved closer to the grey villain, "Blade." He smirked, "welcome to the team."

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><p>:3 Done for now! Oh, so looks like Blade might be joining the Rowdyruff boys... iinteresting, I wonder how the girls will react? ^^ x<p> 


	3. Four against Three

Yes, I realise that it is short, but I thought I might as well put it up. ^^ Here you are!

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><p><em>Chapter 3<em>

The girls had been searching Townsville all afternoon, but they couldn't seem to find Blade anywhere.

"Maybe she didn't go to Townsville..." Bubbles muttered.

"Nah, she might not be a Powerpuff, but she's still like us and we told her about Townsville," Buttercup sighed, "she'd go here, just to annoy us."

"How do you know?" Blossom asked rigidly as she flew closer to her sister.

Buttercup shrugged, "it's something I would do," she muttered, averting her gaze from Blossom's narrowed eyes as they did a fourth sweep of the city.

Strangely enough, it was around this exact moment that a curly-haired girl with a wad of cash in her back pocket was walking up the street, a cell phone in her hand, pretending to be much older than she really was.

Princess Morebucks, the spoilt child of an unhealthily rich corporation had been the Powerpuff girl's most annoying enemy since pre-school. It had been Princess's ambition to become one of the Powerpuff girls, with one single variable making her unable to do so.

She was a brat.

Princess had used her Father's money to buy ridiculously expensive jet packs and plasma weaponry just so she could fight the Powerpuff girls, never exactly _winning _in a fight, but with the annoyance factor that surpassed any of the Powerpuff's other enemies, she made a perfectly awful nemesis.

Blade, however, knew nothing of Princesses' existence in Townsville, all she could see was the wallet filled with cash lying in Miss Morebucks' perfectly awful pink fluffy side bag. Blade shook her head, allowing her x-ray vision to fade as her gaze fixed on to her new target.

With a flash of grey light, the young villain swooped past the spoilt Princess and grabbed her bag easily and handily from her shoulder.

"AHHHHHH!"

Blossom's eyes widened, "did you..."

"Hear that?" Bubbles finished, staring down at the City.

"It came from over there!" Buttercup yelled, pointing to her right.

"Do you think?" Blossom tried, feeling her heart sink in her chest as she thought of their perfectly awful new sibling.

"I could bet you all the money in Townsville," Buttercup hissed as she disappeared in a flash of green light.

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my _God!_" Princess squealed, holding onto the arm of the oblivious Blade as she stared blankly at the strange rich child who had seemed to take an admiration to her.

"Stop that!" Blade hissed, rolling her shoulders in an attempt to get the child to loosen her grip.

"I knew it! I just knew it! You're a Powerpuff girl... but you're _evil _like me!" Princess squealed once more, pinching into the flesh of the young villain.

"Hey... hey, OW!" Blade cried, throwing the brat to the ground, "I ain't a Powerpuff!" she growled, looking the spoilt kid up and down, "and you obviously ain't evil."

Princess pouted, "oh yeah?" she grinned, folding her arms, "I have tonnes of evil stuff, I've got guns and weapons and and... oh a jet pack! All because I want to destroy those stupid Powerpuff girls!"

Blade rose a brow, "okay," she said, shrugging, "you go ahead and do that..."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Princess pleaded, attempting to grab a hold of Blade once more, but thinking twice of it after seeing a dark glint pass through the villain's eyes.

"Stop _doing _that!" Blade growled.

"We could work together, we could destroy those Powerpuffs together!" Princess grinned.

"Not so fast!"

Princess's smile faded as she saw Buttercup appear in the air, "Oh... _great,_" she sighed.

"Ugh, ew, Princess, it was _you?" _Buttercup groaned, "man I thought it was a real..." Buttercup broke off as soon as she saw Blade standing next to the eleven-year-old brat.

"Blade!" Buttercup growled,

"Oh, hey! It's you... yay." Blade said, rolling her eyes sarcastically, "y'know this party just wouldn't get started if you guys weren't around."

"Buttercup, did you-" Blossom stopped as soon as she appeared next to her sister, shortly followed by Bubbles. "Blade" she muttered, "so it really was you."

Blade grinned, "guilty." She beamed.

"What you guys gonna do? Talk to each other or beat some butt!" Princess yelled, raising an arm in the air, only to be thrown half way across the street, to which passing bystanders instantly took as a warning to get as far away as possible.

"Ow!" Princess whined, "you'll be hearing from my fa-" she instantly whimpered and retreated as she saw the venomous gaze set upon her by Blade. The three Powerpuffs stared as Princess ran from the scene, ditching her bag with the villainous Blade.

"So," Blade smiled, "what's new?"

"Nothing much, just beating your butt!" Buttercup growled as she moved to take action.

"No, wait!" Blossom yelled, grabbing Buttercup, "now Blade... you still have a chance to make things right, you can join us in the fight for..." Blossom frowned as she watched Blade immaturely mocking her by miming her long speech, "Hey!" Blossom yelled.

"Oh, what?" Blade pouted, "oh, you bored me prissy girl, next time, make your speeches more interesting!"

Blossom growled, "that's it!"

"No," Bubbles tried, "she's our sister."

"No," Blossom growled, "that's not our sister Bubbles, we might have created her, but that was a mistake."

"Yeah! This is one mistake we gotta fix, permanently." Buttercup growled.

"Oi!"

All three Powerpuffs came to a halt as they heard the familiar low tone of Brick, leader of the Rowdyruff boys.

Blossom's heart skipped a beat as she looked up to see Brick's mean gaze set upon the three Powerpuffs.

_Brick. _Her thoughts ran silent, but she couldn't stop her malfunctioning heart beat. Ever since Brick had taken her out on the front lawn and planted a kiss on her cheek...

She thought that maybe it would have changed something.

_He smiled! _Her mind cried as she traced the happy memories. But it was in the past now. Brick's mean glare only provided more evidence towards that.

"Keep away from our sister!" Brick yelled, narrowing his eyes.

Blossom felt her heart plummet, "your _what?_" she could barely breathe. This was it... This had to be some kind of trick. No way would the Rowdyruff boys ever take in a girl... even if she _was _a Powerpuff.

Brick folded his arms, "you heard us," he sneered, "she's our newest addition, ain't yah?"

Blade grinned darkly, floating into the air with her arms crossed as she met with Brick and the other Ruffs. "Yup," she nodded, "now it's four against three... I think you can see where this is going."

Blossom whimpered as she watched Butch and Boomer take on her sisters, who yelled out their battle cries as they leapt into action. She watched as Bubbles dove into Boomer, smashing him against a wall, and watched as Butch and Buttercup engaged in fist-to-fist combat. Her heart sank.

_Which left her with..._

Brick was already right in front of her face. She could see into his eyes... feel his breath against her face...

_Oh..._

She looked at him as he grabbed her by the shoulders. It was a weak grab, she hardly felt it. She thought she could see something in his eyes, something that wasn't his usual death glare. She wanted to say something to him, plead to him that it didn't have to be this way!

Then... Blade rose from behind him and his grip suddenly tightened.

Brick put his lips to Blossom's ear, "sorry princess," he whispered as he drew back a moment. Blossom paled as she watched as his fist collided with her face, sending her into oblivion.

_Darkness... deep, black darkness. A void of nothingness..._

_Until..._

Blossom shot up from her bed with a start, her head swimming with awful memories, awful emotions... just... _awful. _Her alarm clocked blared angrily into her ear as she took a swing at the ungodly device, shoving it off of her nightstand as she rubbed her eyes angrily.

She felt the moisture spread across her fingers before she'd even removed them from her eyes.

_Oh God, I was... crying._

Blossom sighed, not wanting to move from her bed. She just... sat there, staring at her pink sheets aimlessly. "Five years without thinking about those boys," Blossom muttered with her arms crossed, "you made it five years... without even thinking about _him._" She shook with the shudders that coursed down her spine the moment that devilishly handsome boy's face collided into her thoughts.

She sighed deeply, putting a hesitant hand towards her chest, "Why... why _now?_"

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><p>Indeed, why now? A return from our boys perhaps? ^^ ...And whatever happened to Blade I wonder. You'll find out, soon! SOON! xXx Thanks for the reviews!<p> 


	4. Return of too much Spice

Hey guys! Yup, this is my fourth chapter, I hope you like it! I WAS supposed to put this up yesterday but it wasn't letting me log in, so, sorry! :3 Anyways, here it is! Enjoy! x (Oh and for those asking, YES, Blossom WAS dreaming but she was dreaming of past events that had actually happened!) :) x Thanks for the reviews! I love you guys! x

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><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

Blossom dragged herself out of bed that morning, feeling more tired than she had done in a long while. Brick's face haunted her memories, the way he'd looked at her five years ago back when they'd first created Blade.

The girls never told the Professor about their experiment; they'd never needed to... once Blade came into the picture, the girls saw less and less of the Rowdyruff boys. Blossom had worried at first, worried that something had happened to them, that Blade had – for some reason – gone against them and destroyed them. But they still had fought on occasion.

Up until their twelfth birthday.

That's when the activity of the boy's declined greatly.

And then... not long after that...

They just _vanished._

Blossom used to have dreams that Brick came into the room at night, she used to dream that he'd watch her and she'd pretend she didn't realise.

But then she'd wake up...

And she knew that Brick wasn't there, he wouldn't be there... because even after all that had happened between them, they were still enemies.

_Sorry princess._

He'd apologized that day. The day everything changed. The day that the Rowdyruff boys accepted Blade and then... went their own ways. There were rumours of stronger attacks in other cities near them, but the girls never did check them out. It seemed that the riots moved on just before they could see what the fuss was about.

_Just..._

"Blossom!"

Blossom physically shook as she heard Bubble's voice through her door, "Come on Bloss, we'll be late! Hurry up!"

Blossom blinked in surprise. She hadn't realised how long she'd just been sitting there, staring at nothing in particular as she recounted events that shouldn't have even crossed her mind. She sighed, moving over to her mirror, pressing a hand against her face. Her cheeks were slightly blotchy from where she'd been crying and she was thankful for the fact that her room was now separate from her sister's. It would have been more than embarrassing to wake up in front of them, bawling her eyes out.

The girls were sixteen now and had filled out nicely. Buttercup had kept her shoulder length hair and would occasionally plait it, Bubbles still adored her cute pigtails however she'd been going through a faze where she wanted to keep her hair down and Blossom still tied her hair up, but instead of having a large gaudy bow on her head, she instead went for a small red bow clip that kept her fringe from falling into her face.

Though the girls had ditched the same dresses at around the age of thirteen, Blossom still loved pink and decided upon wearing a simple pink heart t-shirt, some jeans and a pair of red converse that day. After quickly applying her make-up, Blossom ran out of her room, skidding down the stairs as she met her sisters at the front door.

"Whoa, Leader girl," Buttercup gasped mockingly, putting a hand to her mouth sarcastically, "for a second there I thought you were gonna be late."

Blossom rolled her eyes, "oh shut up," she hissed, grabbing her brown leather shoulder bag and swinging it carelessly over her right shoulder, "I'm surprised you even woke up."

Buttercup rolled her eyes, "well, I got gym first period and we're doing self defence," Buttercup grinned, "not that I _need _it or anything, but it's sure as Hell fun."

Bubbles rolled her eyes, she'd chosen to keep her hair down that day, slightly creased from where she'd attempted to plait it, "You shouldn't be so aggressive, how many fights have you got into already?" Bubbles sighed, staring her sister down, "six?"

"Seven," Buttercup rolled her shoulders as if it wasn't a big deal, "James said I fought like a girl."

Blossom rolled her eyes, "you _are _a girl."

Buttercup scoffed, "yeah, well after that beating I gave him, I don't think he's gonna call my fighting a girl's style any time soon."

Bubbles smiled grimly, "how many weeks detention?"

"Only four, I think the head goes easy on me knowing that we defend this City."

Blossom smiled and nodded, looking away suddenly. Just the mention of how they still fought the crime in Townsville, - though over the years it had seemed to have lessened - still reminded her of her strange dream... the sudden absence she felt in her soul. It just didn't feel right.

"Hey, Bloss, you alright?" Buttercup asked, concern in her tone.

Blossom turned around vacantly, "Hm? Oh yeah... I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Bubbles asked, winding an arm around her sister, "you look... I don't know... a little spooked."

Blossom smiled slightly, "spooked?"

Bubbles bit her lip, "you're okay?"

Blossom nodded, "yeah... I just had a weird dream last night, it freaked me out I guess."

"It couldn't have been as bad as that time _Him _got into our dreams could it?" Buttercup asked jokingly, using 'spooky' hand gestures to enunciate her point.

Blossom just rolled her eyes, bumping her shoulder against her raven haired sister in a mocked anger, "I guess not."

"Would it help if you talked about it?" Bubbles suggested.

Blossom instantly felt her heart tighten, "probably not, I'll get over it. It was only a dream."

"Yeah..." her two sisters agreed as they carried on the rest of their journey to school in silence.

The girls hardly used their powers when it came around to school, they'd even gotten used to walking to and from school, only ever flying if they were late or had simply grown bored of the sport. It was strange, but the Powerpuff girls had more or less managed to keep their crime fighting lives and their book busting lives in completely separate buckets, the wake-up call being the general time that Blade had made her appearance. After that moment forwards, the girls had vowed to be able to manage both lives; they were _never _going to make that mistake a third time. _Ever._

So, as the girls walked into school, they believed the day to be a perfectly normal day of a teenager's life. A bit of school drama, a bit of homework, a _lot _of stress, but manageable as it always was.

That was why, on this specific day, the girls didn't even see it coming.

As the three Powerpuffs entered the building of tortuous education, they noticed a group of people talking by the front gates. The main person involved happened to be none other than _Princess._

Though the girl was still rich beyond all imagination, her father had cut her off a few years ago for reckless usage of funds and forced her out of her private education. Since then she had tied the wannabe rich girls around her little finger, using gossip as her main stream of power around her peers.

"Shut up! I know what I'm talking about, it's not a rumour, I found out from a totally reliable source." Princess grinned at the slowly widening crowd of students, "there's new students coming today."

"Really?" A younger girl at the front said, three books clasped to her chest, "in the middle of a school year?"

Princess shrugged, "I dunno, I heard they're foreign or something, they're school years are different," Princess grinned slyly, "I bet foreign means they're going to be hot!"

"Who said they were going to be boys?" A typical male voice called out from the crowd.

Princess flipped her hair slyly, "Oh, I just have a hunch."

The Powerpuffs rolled their eyes as they walked past the crowd, "man, how lame." Buttercup muttered.

"Getting so excited about a few new students," Blossom sighed, "it's quite pathetic really."

"Maybe they'll be nice," Bubbles piped in cheerily, she looked at her sisters and shrugged, flipping a few strands of her golden locks from her face casually, "what?" she asked innocently, "What's stopping us from saying hi to these new students?"

Buttercup rolled her eyes, "because the news came from _Princess._"

Blossom grinned, "she's not really the most reliable source Bubbles."

Bubbles folded her arms that were covered with a light grey hooded jacket that day as she bit her lip, "still, if there's any truth in it, we should be nice. It can't be easy having to try and fit in during the middle of a school year..."

Blossom nodded approvingly, "yes, and we more than anyone can relate to not being able to fit in."

Buttercup rolled her eyes, "say what you like," she muttered, "not fitting in is my style."

With that said, the girls parted ways for their first lessons of the day. Buttercup swung her gym bag across her shoulder casually as she made her way to Gym, Bubbles hastily pulled out her art equipment from her suede bag as she made her way to the Art Department and Blossom casually strolled across the school towards her English class.

When Buttercup entered the changing rooms, she could instantly feel the atmosphere change around her. Usually, this kind of atmosphere would feel normal for a school filled with hormonal teenagers, but today, the feeling made her slightly on edge. As if anything could happen at any given moment.

"Did you hear?" Angela, a girl that Buttercup had become fast friends with since the age of twelve ran up to her, grabbing her arms and pulling her further into the Gym lockers.

Buttercup rose a brow, "if you mean about the new kids then I guess I did," Buttercup sighed, throwing her Gym bag carelessly on one of the benches.

Angela was a slight girl, and though she was rather small for a sixteen year old with long, straight ebony locks that covered half of her face, she held a strength that Buttercup admired; in fact the girls first met when they were both accepted onto the Soccer team and immediately became close friends.

"But that's not the best part!" Angela grinned.

Buttercup frowned, "I didn't realise there was any 'good' part about new kids."

Angela rolled her eyes, "Oh please BC, new kids are always so interesting!"

Buttercup shook her head, "how?"

Angela sighed, blowing a strand of hair from her face tiredly, "man you're hard to please, y'know... the rumours! These kids apparently come from _really _far away, not even Princess knows much about them... it's totally mysterious."

Buttercup rolled her eyes, "we should really get changed..."

"Oh yeah!" Angela's eyes lit up, "apparently one of them is joining our class... _today!_"

Buttercup rose a brow, "how many of them are there?"

Angela shrugged, "no one's sure, but it's gotta be a big family... I mean the way people are talking there's gotta be more than three of them," she leant in to Buttercup for a moment, whispering into her ear, "don't tell anyone, because I don't want to be blamed for spreading gossip, but I heard all the kids were adopted, they're all going into the same year!"

Buttercup frowned, "weird," she sighed, "anyway... back to Gym and _self defence._" She grinned.

When the girls were finally changed, their Gym teacher appeared in the Sports Hall, holding a clipboard for the register, "okay guys," the teacher began, looking over the clipboard in a bored fashion at her class for the day, "today, as you've probably all heard..." she rolled her eyes at the sudden whispers and silent mutters that came from a few students, "you have a new student joining you."

Buttercup rolled her eyes, miming the words 'kill me now' as she looked at Angela who simply shoved her playfully and grinned. The teacher took a step out of the way as the doors to the Hall swung open.

Buttercup flinched as soon as the atmosphere changed again.

She couldn't ignore it this time... something about whoever was about to enter brought a very weird air to the entire Hall.

"Please welcome Blade," the teacher announced.

Buttercup almost _felt_ her heart stop beating... for a _split_ second as the entire Hall fell silent and a tall, slight grey haired girl walked into the room.

Buttercup narrowed her eyes.

Blade hadn't changed at all, she still had her hair tied in two rough pigtails, and her eyes were still a misty, mysterious grey. Now, she'd covered her eyes with thick eyeliner, giving her an almost gothic tone. She was in a simple white vest shirt and grey tracksuit bottoms and from where she stood... although silent, Buttercup could sense the danger that lurked around her.

"Now, I want you all to get into groups to practice the techniques I taught you last week, would anyone be so kind as to show our new student-"

"Yeah," Buttercup hissed instantly, narrowing her eyes at Blade. This _wasn't _good this was the opposite of good. If Blade was here... in _school. _What the Hell did that even mean? In Buttercup's books she was like the antichrist among angels. She was dark, powerful and she was _still _that, it didn't take a genius to see it.

"Very well," the teacher rolled her eyes, motioning for Blade to go over to Buttercup, "Buttercup will show you the new moves."

Buttercup plastered the fakest of smiles on her face, forcing herself not to grind her teeth in pure hatred, "love to," she hissed.

"Wow," Angela whispered as Blade made her way over, "She's so mysterious-looking."

Buttercup rolled her eyes, "Yeah..." she sighed.

As soon as Blade had made her way half way across the Hall and Buttercup was sure most of the other groups were getting on with their work, she grabbed Blade by the arm with all the force she could muster, pulling her in close, "what in the Hell are you doing here?" she growled.

Blade smirked slightly, chuckling eerily calmly as she easily pulled her arm from Buttercup, almost forcing her to keel over with the intensity of her strength, "oh little BC..." Blade muttered, "is that what your friends call you now? BC?"

"You're _not _my friend," Buttercup hissed.

"But I _am _your sister." Blade reminded, "you created me, you made me who I am... hm, I guess I should thank you for that, never really got around to, what with trying to kill you and all."

Buttercup remained silent.

Blade grinned, "struck a nerve didn't I princess?"

Buttercup flinched with the use of the word, the word that the Rowdyruff boys used on her... the one that _Butch _used on her all too often, to mock her strength, her quality of fighting, to get under her skin. God she _hated _it.

"So, urm, Blade is it?" Angela called as she ran over to the two Puffs, "we should teach you the moves."

"Yeah," Buttercup grinned darkly, "here's the first," with one quick move, Buttercup grabbed Blade by the arm too fast for her to react, swiftly pulling it behind her back and kicking her in the back of the legs, forcing her to the ground. "Wasn't that neat?" Buttercup scowled.

Blade rolled her eyes, "yes, I suppose, but what you forget is that an opponent can always..." Blade swung her body behind Buttercup's as she rolled onto her back and kicked Buttercup in the back of her knees, causing her to buckle and fall straight onto her face, "do that," Blade grinned.

"Wow... did they do self defence at your old school?" Angela asked, completely oblivious.

Blade got up, tightening one of her pigtails that had come loose, "I didn't have an old school, I guess you could say I got... _home_ schooled,"

Buttercup felt the rage bubble inside her as she got to her feet, full-out tackling Blade to the ground, pinning her there as her green eyes darkened in pure rage, "Fucking bitch!" she yelled.

"Ah! Get her off me!" Blade's demeanour instantly changed as she suddenly felt weak within Buttercup's grip, "Stop her, please!" Blade pleaded in such a _fake _tone it made Buttercup feel sick just to listen to her.

"Alright, Buttercup, break it up! I'm going to have to send you to the Principal, _again!_"

Buttercup looked up to see her entire class staring at her wide eyed. It was no use, no matter _what _she said, she'd still look like the bad guy. Claiming Blade was an evil sister she herself created would have most likely have ended in some form of mental home. Instead, Buttercup kept her mouth shut as she got up from off of Blade.

Buttercup had to use all her strength not to attack the girl as she helped her up from the ground.

"Whoops," Buttercup growled, "I guess I didn't know my own strength."

Blade narrowed her eyes mockingly, "Oh I know you did, it was why it didn't hurt that much."

Before Blade could react, Buttercup had swivelled around from leaving the fight there, her fist was balled before Blade could make a comment, and her knuckles had connected with the side of Blade's face before she could make a move of her own.

"Oh my God, BC!" Angela yelled as Blade fell backwards, supporting herself weakly as she fell to the floor, stunned.

The teacher instantly snapped, "MISS UTONIUM. Principal's office, NOW!"

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><p>:) x<p> 


	5. Headaches

Okay, here is where things get more complicated, confusing BUT entertaining at the same time! :3 Enjoy! x

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><p><em>Chapter 5<em>

Bubbles rushed into art, sitting herself at one of the tables as she pulled out her large notepad of drawings that she had been working on so far this year. Today's project was still life, a relatively easy topic to work on, especially when it could be any form of still life. Bubbles had brought in her old 'Octi' toy to draw. Now, Octi was worn-looking and had stitches in several places, it was the perfect item to draw, it had so much history. But Bubbles never really liked to dwell on the past, back when her sisters thought she was nothing but a baby. Bubbles had done a lot of growing up since then, and although she was still the happy and bubbly person that saved Townsville countless times, she had a harder streak in her, a violent side that would tend to show itself given the right circumstances and because of this, her sisters treated her as more of an equal. More of an adult.

Bubbles watched the class fill up as usual, leaning on her hands as she stared at nothing in particular. She was still a bit of a dreamer, and given the chance she would spend all day somewhere quiet, drawing, listening to music and just fading away. It was her happy place.

"Class."

Bubbles drew her attention back to their teacher, a loose middle aged woman with thick brown hair. Bubbles loved their teacher Miss Honey for exactly that reason. She was easy-going, kind, virtuous and allowed the class to draw, paint and sculpt anything that was on their minds.

"Now, I know you're probably all busy with your still-life projects, but I'd ask for a moment of your time to welcome a new student," Miss Honey smiled, gesturing for whomever the new student was to come in.

Bubbles instantly heard people talking behind her and rolled her eyes. This was obviously one of the _mysterious _children from another land that would be taking their class by storm.

At first, Bubbles thought back to what her sisters had said and looked at her notepad. It was just another student after all; perhaps she shouldn't try to get too involved, especially when half the class seemed to be more or less hyperventilating.

But then the door opened forcing her eyes to instantly snap upon the person who had entered.

A tall, blonde haired boy. His golden locks had been swooped either side of his face, slightly covering his eyes that were at that moment looking awkwardly around the room. Large, deep blue eyes seemed to pierce every female student in the room as he drove his hands into his navy hooded jacket that fell loosely around his body, revealing the black t-shirt beneath.

Bubbles couldn't _believe _it... he was familiar, though she didn't want to admit it. She felt her heart race in her chest, crying for an escape as she focused on the boy. That _boy._

_I think he's cute_

_I want the blonde_

_I think he's cute_

_He's cute._

_Cute._

"Please welcome, Boomer."

Bubbles gasped _No, no, NO!_

Boomer... one of the Rowdyruff boys. Oh, how he'd grown. Bubble's tried to divert her gaze, but Boomer had already seen her. She could see his eyes narrow, almost mockingly. Why in the Hell was he here? Why was he in her _art _class? Staring her down... like she was some kind of...

"Why don't you take the spare seat next to Bubbles," Miss Honey suggested. Bubbles could feel her head hit her desk as she drove herself upwards again, forcing herself to stay calm.

Boomer simply nodded, easing his way over as he sat in the chair next to the Powerpuff, "remember me?" he grinned.

Bubbles hated to admit it, but his low voice sounded... almost seductive. Although, she refused to look at him, she kept her eyes directly at her work, "sure," she said through gritted teeth.

"Bet you're wondering what I'm doing here."

Bubbles narrowed her eyes, "not really." She lied.

Boomer sighed, "still Bubbles then, little aggressive, girly Bubbles."

"Stop it!" Bubbles growled under her breath, slamming her pencil down against her paper as her neck snapped up the meet the Rowdyruff boy's gaze. "You're... you're, you're..."

"Evil?" Boomer's eyes had narrowed now, a way that Bubbles didn't like, a way that she found uncomfortable, "I prefer the term 'bad boy'"

Bubbles rolled her eyes, "'course you would, anything to help that poor vocabulary of yours."

Boomer leaned onto his folded arms, "oh, you'd be surprised toots; five years away from you brats can do wonders."

Bubbles had to fight the urge to punch the kid, "Brats? Really?" she smiled sarcastically, "how childish."

"That's rich coming from you."

"Oh _yeah?" _Bubbles growled.

"Yeah!"

"I don't hear pencils against paper!" Miss Honey chimed in, just at the right time according to Bubble's fuming face.

"Just let me work, one bad thing from you, and you're going down."

Boomer shrugged, "doubt it."

"Are you trying to test me or something!" Bubbles hissed, guarding her low tone as she made sure Miss Honey couldn't hear, "I could beat you right here, right now."

Boomer licked his upper lip, "like I said babe, I doubt it."

"Stop calling me BABE!" Bubbles yelled the last part, instantly covering her mouth as the entire class fell silent.

"Is there a problem Bubbles?" Miss Honey asked with a guarded tone.

Bubbles felt her face flush a deep shade of scarlet as she gasped at her own outburst, "N-no problem," she whimpered, falling back into her chair.

After a few moments of silence, Boomer leaned in again. "Relax," Boomer whispered into Bubble's ear, "I'm not here to cause trouble."

Bubbles lowered her tone, "Why don't I believe you?"

Boomer rolled his shoulders, "six years of fighting then we make a disappearing act," Boomer shrugged, "kinda makes sense."

Bubbles narrowed her eyes, "then why do you doubt I could beat you down if you're not here to cause trouble?"

Boomer laughed. It was strange to hear that... it wasn't an evil laugh; it wasn't like a laugh she'd heard in the past when he'd just beaten up a stranger. It was calm, smooth... _kind. _"believe it or not, I'm not here for you."

Bubbles rolled her eyes, "don't tell me Brick got a sudden inspiration to go to school."

Boomer shook his head, "no way, no, it's not our style, we're here for our sister."

Bubbles felt her heart sink as she looked at Boomer speechlessly, "y-you mean..."

Boomer nodded, "yes, Blade's still our sister."

Bubbles covered her mouth, "...she's _here!_"

Boomer nodded, shifting his gaze, "trust me, we won't _do _anything to you."

Bubbles frowned, "wow, wherever you disappeared to gave you a lot of sense."

Boomer narrowed his eyes, "not as much as you'd think,"

Bubbles frowned, "where is it you went then? It... wasn't the same around here after you guys-"

Boomer grinned cheekily, "aw, you missed us?"

"No!" Bubbles hissed, "I... uh, just, you were our toughest enemies... things got way too easy,"

"Right..." Boomer grinned, "whatever helps you sleep at night,"

"What's that supposed to mean!" Bubbles was about to grab onto the boy that had been pushing her buttons since they were five years old when suddenly she noticed Boomer tense. It was for a split second, a moment of vulnerability, a moment of _pain?_

Bubbles saw him wince and then vigorously rub his head. His smile seemed to fade as he turned away from Bubbles suddenly.

"Did I miss something?" Bubbles asked, masking her worry with sarcasm, "did the almighty just-"

"It's nothing." Boomer's tone was suddenly bitter and immensely serious. His gaze followed down to the drawing pad he'd taken out and he simply began to draw, staring very deeply at the paper.

Bubbles watched him, confusion striking her as the main variable. He'd been so talkative, so sarcastic and crude and then... in a flash, he went silent.

Bubbles continued to stare until something else caught her eye. A flash of green by the classroom door. Green eyes...

_Buttercup?_

Bubbles knew it wasn't before her mind had even processed the thought. She watched Boomer in a guarded fashion as he too noticed Butch pass the doorway, something that none of the other students seemed to realise or notice. Bubbles tensed as she watched Boomer raise his hand.

"May I be excused?" he asked in such a polite fashion, Bubbles had to double take at her nemesis. Had he really just directed a polite question to a person of authority? Maybe he was changed... or maybe...

As Boomer left the classroom, Bubbles continued to watch. She saw him go to walk away, but not before she managed to put her super sense of hearing into action. She watched the boy's lips move and she felt her body quiver as she sneakily listened in.

"You felt it too?" Boomer muttered.

Butch narrowed his eyes, "'Course, c'mon, we need to get Brick."

Bubble's eyes widened as she watched the two boys walk away.

What in the _Hell _had she just witnessed?

* * *

><p>Buttercup walked to the Principal's office with her hands dug deep into her brown leather jacket, she hated the fact that this would be the eighth time this year that she'd been sent there, but not as much as she hated the reason <em>why.<em>

"Blade," she muttered under her breath as she crossed the school yard, hating how the name sat on her tongue. It was like a bad dream... but this bad dream had come to life. And now she was...

Buttercup shivered involuntarily, that stupid name... that stupid girl; it was all her fault she was here, all her fault that she had _ever _been here in the first place...

"There she is!"

Buttercup froze.

The voice was aggressive, low, masculine and most defiantly _not _friendly. Buttercup swerved on her heels. She'd had a bad enough day as it was, maybe a good old fashioned fight with some lame kid would do her good. Buttercup rose her gaze to whoever had called her out, only to feel her heart tighten as she lay gazes with...

_Butch?_

Butch too had grown, his hair was still gelled into ferocious spikes and his eyes still glimmered with anger. But it was a different anger than Buttercup was used to seeing...

Butch was wearing a typical bad-boy outfit in Buttercup's opinion, a black leather jacket, green shirt and baggy jeans. He was obviously pissed at her... but it wasn't just a 'you're my enemy and therefore I should be pissed' glare it was something different. Something totally unexpected.

"You punched Blade!" Butch spat, suddenly appearing directly in front of Buttercup as he grabbed her by the throat, pushing her against one of the school buildings.

Buttercup yelped in surprise, attempting to force away Butch's surprisingly firm hold on her throat. "D-dunno, w-what y-you mean!" Buttercup choked, narrowing her eyes at her enemy.

"Oh, don't play dumb, we know what you did!" Butch growled.

"Butch!"

Butch's eyes widened slightly but it didn't stop his hold on Buttercup, even when Buttercup could clearly see his brothers who had just appeared behind him.

"What the Hell are you doing?" Brick yelled. Buttercup was slightly stunned to see that Brick wasn't helping his brother defeat her. In looks, he'd barely changed except for height and muscular differences. Like his brothers he'd kept his wild hair cut and still wore his red cap back to front. His scarlet eyes seemed dangerous as he watched his brother.

"Oi!" He yelled, "you hear me?" He growled, grabbing Butch by the shoulders and forcing him away from Buttercup, "are you crazy?" Brick yelled, "you wanna get us expelled!"

Butch growled, lowering his eyes to the floor, "it would be better than staying here."

"You know we have to," Brick growled, letting go of his brother with a shove, forcing him to the ground.

"But Brick," Boomer reasoned, "she... she punched Blade."

"How do you even know that?" Buttercup piped up, just to be glared at by the brothers,

"can it princess, no one asked for your opinion," Brick sneered, looking back to his brother, "you know what's important, you don't go killing people, even if they're someone as screwy as Buttercup."

"But-" Butch tried, but was silenced once more by Brick.

"Alright," Brick said, turning to Buttercup once he knew his brothers wouldn't try anything, "we're not starting a fight here, but..." Brick grabbed Buttercup by the collar, smashing her against the wall, "try anything as dumb as touching our sister again and you're as good as dead, _got it?_"

Buttercup narrowed her eyes, "how did you even-"

"_Got it?" _Buttercup felt the grip on her shirt tighten and simply nodded, "fine, whatever."

Brick nodded, "good."

And like that, the three boys vanished in their assorted colours, leaving Buttercup on her own.

* * *

><p>Lunchtime came by much too slowly for the girl's liking as Buttercup rushed into the lunch hall, instantly spotting Blossom who had just sat herself down.<p>

"Bloss! Oh my God, Blossom you'll never guess what!"

"Blossom, you'll never guess what!"

Buttercup rose a brow to the echoed voice as she turned around to see Bubbles joining her side. "I think mine's more important," Buttercup argued.

"Oh really?" Bubbles said sarcastically, folding her arms as she sat down opposite from Blossom, "is yours about the Rowdyruff boys too?"

Buttercup's eye twitched as she looked at Bubbles speechlessly, "well... yeah," she said.

Bubble's eyes widened, "Oh..." she muttered.

"Wait!" Blossom's heart had begun to race the moment Bubbles had mentioned the Rowdyruff boys, "what about... what about them?"

"They're here!" Buttercup hissed.

"And they're acting strange," Bubbles lowered her voice, looking around the hall to make sure no one had heard her.

Buttercup rolled her eyes, "no shit, they're still hanging with Blade."

"You saw her?" Bubbles gasped.

"Yeah, I practically beat her down in Gym."

"Girls!" Blossom hissed, narrowing her eyes as she beckoned for them to move in closer, to make sure the conversation was _completely _private. "First, what do you mean by strange?"

Bubbles looked to Buttercup and they both shrugged, "well..." Bubbles whispered, leaning in further, "Boomer was in my art class and he seemed pretty Boomer-like, you know... annoying and everything, but then..." Bubbles bit her lip, "I'm not sure but he... I don't know, it looked like he was in pain."

Blossom blinked, "what do you mean?"

"That's exactly it!" Bubbles said, "I'm not sure, it was just... so sudden, then Butch was at the door and they both went out," Bubbles shrugged, sighing, "I heard what they said when they left, Boomer asked if Butch had 'felt' something too, I'm guessing it was about that pain, I don't really get it."

Buttercup rose a brow, "well Boomer and Butch were both completely fine when they tried to beat me up."

"What!" Blossom asked, "those idiots! Are you alright?"

Buttercup gave her sister a deadpan expression, "Bloss, I'm fine, but Brick more or less dragged Butch off of me."

"B-Brick?" Blossom felt her heart flutter. He'd _saved _Buttercup from his own brothers? She felt almost light headed for a moment. Maybe in the five years they hadn't seen each other...

"Then he shoved me against the wall, threatened to kill me if I ever went near Blade again." Buttercup shrugged it off as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

Blossom's heart plummeted, "what did you _do _to Blade exactly?"

Buttercup's gaze wandered away from her sister's, "I- I,"

Bubbles sighed, "you beat her up?"

"One punch!" Buttercup growled, "I punched her once, but she went all 'help me, please' on me so I got sent to the Principal's, then those three losers jumped me."

"Boomer said he wasn't here to do anything to us though..." Bubbles sighed, looking at the table as she took out her bagged lunch.

Blossom's brow furrowed, "wait, you mean you talked to Boomer?"

Bubbles shrugged, "he was acting alright up until he got that weird headache."

Blossom folded her arms against the table. These things weren't adding up... If Buttercup had been jumped by the Rowdyruffs minutes after Blade had been punched then that would have meant that they would have had to have known almost instantaneously. And then there was the weird headache that signalled Boomer's departure... to beat up Buttercup?

"Buttercup, do you know roughly what time it was when you punched Blade?" Blossom asked abruptly.

Buttercup looked at her sister oddly before shrugging, "not sure, I guess it had to have been about half nine."

Blossom turned to Bubbles who was eating her sandwich casually, "and when did Boomer get this headache?"

Bubble's eyes widened, "Oh my God... it was like in the middle of class... about half nine too!"

Buttercup looked to Bubbles in astonishment and then towards Blossom, "wait... what the Hell does that mean?"

Blossom sighed, "honestly? I have no idea, but I think we're going to have to confront these demons from our past."

* * *

><p>Ohh? So, the boys can feel Blade's pain eh? I wonder why...<p> 


	6. Confrontations

OoooOo, I'm really treating you guys today. This is a very large chapter that I hope you'll enjoy! :3 Thank you so much for the reviews! I really love them! You guys are amazing! :D We're getting very close to finding out the secret now... haha!

***NOTE* - During this chapter we see Blossom thinking about a kiss that she and Brick shared, this ties into my story 'Follow the Leader' to anyone who's unaware. Basically, Blossom and Brick's relationship got pretty complicated at the age of 11 when she helped him get better from an illness, she kissed him to save his life, he kissed her on the cheek in the final chapter, but the relationship didn't change much after that. JUST TO CLEAR THINGS UP. :3 Okay, enjoy! x**

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 6<em>

"What do we do?" It was Buttercup who had asked, but plainly each Powerpuff had the same question coursing through their minds.

Blossom sighed as she opened the door to the Utonium household, "There's something going on with them so..."

"We're going to have to talk to them aren't we?" Buttercup groaned.

"Well," Blossom began, looking towards her sisters in despair, "what else can we do?"

"Watch them?" Buttercup tried, "We watch them and if they do anything bad we kick them down to size."

Bubbles rolled her eyes, "you can't solve every problem with violence BC," she sighed, following her leading sister up the stairs, "I for one agree with Blossom, we talk to them, they're older now and I bet they're less immature."

Buttercup narrowed her eyes, "try thinking that when you've got them beating you up at school."

Bubbles glowered at her tougher sister before removing her gaze from her entirely, "I think I was making progress with Boomer... if we could just find out where they disappeared to, maybe we'll get some answers!"

Blossom's eyes glazed over a moment as she stared at Bubbles. That was a point she had seemed to have missed. Blade had taken the boys off the map for five years. Where had she taken them? More importantly, _why _had they gone with her? It seemed like such a quick decision to add her to the team. Blossom was sure Blade was hiding something. For Brick to have left like that... she related to Brick, in many ways they were the same. They both thought things out, had structured plans, they didn't just go in for the kill, there was always a strategic way of going about things...

"We need to find out where they went." Blossom decided, nodding towards Blossom in a thankful fashion, "starting tomorrow we start talking to those boys."

That night, none of the girls could really sleep. Blossom lay awake in her room, staring out at the window that lay directly ahead of her. She watched the street lights, the shadows of cars as they passed her by, anything to get her mind off of the day's events.

_But she couldn't._

Had it really just been coincidence that she dreamt of the day the Rowdyruff's left? She still felt her heart thudding hard in her chest, ever since Buttercup and Bubbles starting talking about seeing them. Bubbles had been in the same class as Boomer and Buttercup had seen all of their counterparts as well as their evil sister...

Her heart squeezed once more as she sighed into her pillow. _Why didn't she get to see Brick?_

After five years of holding their kiss a secret, five years of pretending she held some kind of hatred for her counterpart. She physically couldn't anymore. No matter what he did, no matter how he looked at her she could see nothing but that kiss... the one she had given to save his life, the one he had returned that night on their front lawn.

The same front lawn her window overlooked...

Oh, five years of never wanting to step on that spot, five years of waking up in the middle of the night thinking that Brick was there to drag her out there again. To speak with her. To explain to her what the Hell was going on!

Blossom could do nothing but close her eyes and wait the night out. Tomorrow she was going to find Brick no matter how hard it was. No matter how immature he was. No matter who he had become in these five years, Blossom was going to speak with him. She was going to find out what was going on.

Come morning, the girls were all eager to get to school, something that usually wasn't apparent in any teenager. Today was different though. The sisters had planned out their actions for the day. They were going to find their counterparts separately and find out the information that they could. Though Buttercup hated the idea of speaking to her annoying counterpart who had practically tried to kill her the day previously, she still nodded along to Blossom's plans. If anything, she could almost see the eagerness in Blossom's tone. It seemed that Bubbles wasn't the only one eager to face their counterpart head on.

As soon as the girls entered the school, they split up, heading in different directions to effectively find who they were looking for.

"Oh my God, BC! BC!"

Buttercup felt wholly relieved that she could hear the familiar sound of Angela's worried squeaks for Buttercup's well being. If anything, she'd do anything to distract herself from Blossom's plan.

"BC!" Angela called as she ran up to Buttercup, panting slightly as she attempted to catch her breath, "w-what happened yesterday BC? You went AWOL on me!" Angela scowled, hitting her best friend playfully on the arm.

Buttercup blew out a breath, "it's a long story, just tell me this, how badly was Blade screwed yesterday?"

Angela frowned, "she didn't even get a mark on her, I swear she must have skin of steel, to survive a blow like yours," Angela chuckled lightly to herself, "but seriously, those kids aren't half mysterious, they all stick together, kind of like how you and your sisters are."

Buttercup rolled her eyes, "yeah, they're close. What else is new?" Buttercup moved in slightly closer to Angela, lowering her voice, "did... did you notice anything strange about them?"

Angela bit her lip in concentration, her eyes wandering around the place as she thought about what had happened, "I don't know... Blade was a bit weird, once you left she seemed really nice, but after Gym I tried chatting to her and she just ran off to one of her brothers... the one with the red cap."

"Brick?"

"Oh, you know him?"

Buttercup shrugged, "we have a... mutual relationship."

Angela grinned, "well him and Blade have more than that, I swear the way he treated her it was like she was an item about to get stolen, total possessive brother if you ask me."

Buttercup frowned, "wait, what do you mean?"

Angela sighed as they entered the school building for their next lesson, History. "He just seemed... so controlling, he kept an arm around her at all times and had this really guarded look about him," Angela shrugged as they strolled into class, sitting themselves at their desks, "after that, I didn't see them again, they just seemed to disappear you know? Just blend in with everything else..."

* * *

><p>"Why'd you do it?"<p>

Blade was leant against one of the trees that stood proudly within the small green area that sat between three of the main school buildings. She sighed as she folded her arms, watching Brick's unmoving gaze from her face. It was then that she noticed all three of her brothers were looking at her with the same mannerisms.

"You could have beaten her senseless," Butch pointed out, joining his leading brother's side.

Boomer frowned, "but you let her hurt you."

Blade smirked slightly, rolling her eyes, "does it really bother you that much?"

From their dark looks she gathered that it seemed to more than she had imagined. Blade sighed, rolling her shoulders easily, "I wanted to give her a chance. Buttercup was the reason for my being after all."

Brick narrowed his eyes, "no, they all were. They all had a hand in it."

Butch growled, "Yeah, what's so special about Buttercup?"

Blade smiled slightly, biting her lip in satisfaction of her words, "Buttercup added that little extra spice that made me this way... besides, we need to make them believe that nothing has changed about us."

"That's not gonna happen," Boomer pointed out, digging his hands into his jacket pocket lowly, "Bubbles has already started asking questions... she even saw..."

"_What?_" Brick hissed, hitting his brother in the arm as he turned on him, a venomous hugh in his gaze, "you let her see!"

"It's not like I had a choice!" Boomer shot back, averting his gaze, "besides, she probably thought it was nothing."

Brick looked back to Blade dangerously, "they ain't stupid, at some point those Powerpuffs are gonna figure it out."

Blade nodded, licking her upper lip, "then don't let them."

"But-"

"No matter what happens, no matter what is said, you don't tell them anything. What happened to us, where we went _or _why we came back." Blade moved forwards, moving in between her three brothers as she linked an arm around each of them, "Remember, it doesn't concern them."

Butch stared away angrily, "yeah," he agreed.

Boomer remained silent and Brick simply averted his gaze. This was getting more and more complicated. They weren't kids any more, Blade had forced them into this school, in front of people, people who were smart and could figure things out for themselves. But more importantly, Blade had forced them to get dangerously close to the Powerpuffs, to... _Blossom._

"She's here you know." Blade pointed out dejectedly, her eyes moving across the lawns towards a tall tree, "behind there, listening..."

Brick looked towards Blade as if she had gone crazy, but he knew himself. He could sense her as he always had. A trick he was able to use around his counterpart. After all... in some way neither of them could explain, they were _connected._

"Talk to her," Blade commanded, turning to look at the other siblings, "all of you, if approached you'll talk. As if you're normal, as if you're changed. You will talk when spoken to, just don't answer the wrong questions."

Brick felt Blade push him forwards, hating how it felt to be pushed around by someone like _her. _Sometimes he even regretted the amount of protection he provided for her. But he knew he had to... it was the only way that he could...

"Go on Brick, talk to your girlfriend," Butch mocked with a smirk.

"Shut the Hell up," Brick growled back, turning back towards Butch with a darkened, venomous glare. Butch instantly took a step back as Blade narrowed her eyes in approval, "good boy Brick, go speak with Blossom, we'll see you at lunch."

Blossom attempted to listen in on the conversation being had by the four siblings. She'd been scoping the area for signs of the Rowdyruff's when she'd felt Brick's presence. A sense she very much despised but at the same time desired. It was as if she could tell exactly where he was, she could _feel _him through something in her soul. She secretly wondered if the same went for her sisters, but she'd never gathered the courage to speak up about it, in case it had something to do with the incident back when she was eleven.

She'd been waiting behind the tree for a few minutes now, attempting to get a focus on the conversation, but finding herself with little luck.

Suddenly, Blossom squealed as she felt a hand on her arm, instantly spinning around with a fist outstretched ready to attack. Blossom blinked as she felt her fist being blocked by a stronger hand. Her heart raced as she looked upwards to see Brick staring at her as if she'd gone mad.

"What was that for?" Brick growled.

"Y-you..." Blossom blinked, stumbling across her words, "y-you, you bastard!"

"Wait... what?"

Blossom narrowed her eyes, thumping Brick in the chest weakly, "you disappeared for five years! I thought you were _dead!_"

Brick rolled his eyes, pushing the Powerpuff from his body, holding her out by the wrists, "get off would you?"

Blossom narrowed her eyes, "why are you here? I mean seriously, _why? _After all this time... I thought that things would be different, but they're not. You're still an idiot!"

"Hey!" Brick shot back, tightening his grip on Blossom's wrists and forcing her to wince slightly with the discomfort, "I ain't done anything, you're the one who's spying!"

Blossom blushed, "what? I-I..."

"Oh please, I could have sensed you a mile away."

"You feel it too?" Blossom choked.

Brick's eyes widened as he let go of the Powerpuff, pushing her away, "that's not important."

Blossom folded her arms, moving away, "fine, then we have nothing to talk about."

Brick sighed, rolling his eyes as he grabbed her by the shoulder, "hold up Princess," and Blossom did. She stayed put, looking over her shoulder at the boy that she thought she'd never see again. It was all like a crazy, messed up dream. One of those dreams that you'd be pretty content in your entire life... Blossom almost felt like pinching herself.

"Look, I'm... uh, I'm sorry, about ditching you?" Brick tried hopelessly, "But... why do you even care so much? It's not like we were friends."

Blossom recoiled slightly, "_What?_" she hissed.

"What?" Brick echoed, seeing the venom that suddenly crept into his counterpart's eyes.

"You kissed me!" Blossom practically yelled, rubbing her face with her hands in an attempt to straighten herself out, "we both know things were different after that!"

"We still fought," Brick countered.

"They weren't the same," Blossom growled, turning back away from Brick as she went to storm off for the second time, "Do you have any idea how freaked I was? It was _our _fault that Blade got out in the first place,"

"Don't insult her." Brick said lowly.

Blossom turned back, hatred in her eyes, "she's a menace, she tried to kill us, she drove _you _boys to try to kill us and now you're back, don't think I don't know why! She's made you, what? You're stronger now? You think you can take us down well-"

"Blossom!" Brick yelled, cutting her off as he grabbed her by the shoulders, looking at her deeply, "trust me when I say this. We're not here to hurt you."

Blossom wriggled away from Brick's grip, holding her body with her arms weakly, "then... why are you here?"

Brick looked at Blossom in despair, opening his mouth but then quickly closing it as he shook his head.

Blossom narrowed her eyes, "I _thought _so," she hissed, storming away, "to think I ever even cared whether you were alive or dead!" she spat as she disappeared into the school building.

* * *

><p>It took Bubbles a long time to pluck up the courage to speak to her counterpart. He seemed to be truly engrossed in his art work that day. Bubble's stomach clenched as she dropped her pencil against her paper. She took a deep breath, her eyes drawing in the opposite direction, "Hey," Bubbles greeted awkwardly, "We um, we got cut off last time we talked didn't we?"<p>

Boomer shrugged, not really paying much attention to his counterpart. He hated the fact that she'd seen what she had. If it was his fault that the Powerpuffs found out then he was going to regret the day he was...

"Boomer!" Bubbles hissed, knocking Boomer's arm playfully with her elbow, "I wanted to say... I think I believe you."

Boomer rose a brow, finally turning to his counterpart, "about what?"

Bubbles shrugged, "about you not here to hurt us, there's something else going on."

Boomer looked away again, "like what?" he challenged.

Bubbles smiled, "you guys went ape on Buttercup just because she hit Blade."

Boomer's eyes narrowed, "_Just?_"

Bubbles rolled her eyes, "c'mon, she's a tough girl, could probably take care of herself in a fight. She didn't even fight back, but you guys did," Bubbles smiled, chewing on the end of her pencil softly, "like her own personal army."

Boomer shrugged, "Don't know what you mean."

"Oh, stop screwing with me!" Bubbles hissed, leaning in closer to her counterpart, "When Buttercup punched Blade it was at the exact same time that you-"

"Alright class, the bell's about to go you can pack up if you want," Miss Honey chimed in, forcing Bubbles to almost break her pencil in annoyance. She could see the worry in Boomer's gaze, something she'd _never _seen before. She knew she was getting closer to the truth... she _knew _it had something to do with that headache. She would have asked him were it not for his almost instantaneous departure from the class. Bubbles frowned at the stream of blue that that he left behind.

* * *

><p>"Alright Butch, what the fuck's going on!" Buttercup growled, grabbing her counterpart by the shirt and forcing him against a set of lockers.<p>

"Get off idiot!" Butch yelled, grabbing Buttercup by the shoulders and forcing her into the same position she had had him in moments before.

Buttercup rolled her eyes, "you're slightly stronger, I'm impressed," she tightened her grip on Butch, looking deep into his eyes, "now _tell me _what's going on!"

"Screw you." Butch growled, pushing Buttercup off of him as he went to walk away.

"Fine! Maybe I'll just pull all four of you together and punch Blade a whole lot of times!" Buttercup challenged, smiling in victory as she watched Butch pause for a moment.

"What would that prove?" Butch spoke in a guarded tone. Buttercup knew that she had him. She folded her arms with a smirk tracing her lips, "Oh... I don't know," she sighed, fiddling with a strand of her ebony hair, "that if I punched her, I'd get a Hell lot more satisfaction watching you in pain!"

Butch turned fully back to his counterpart, "you know what we said if you hurt her again!" he yelled, grabbing her by her jacket as he lifted her from the ground just barely. Buttercup snarled, "I don't care!" she yelled, kneeing Butch in the stomach as she loosened herself from his grip as he fell to his knees.

"What is going on out here?"

Both supers paused in their fist fight as they saw the head of the Maths department, Mr James exit one of the classrooms wide eyed, "break it up you two, shouldn't you be in class?"

Buttercup and Butch remained silent, both scowling at each other.

"For getting into a fight... in school grounds, Miss Utonium the amount of times... you're just lucky you haven't been expelled!" Mr James exclaimed, turning towards Butch, "and you... I'm not sure what your name is, but for provoking this kind of behaviour, both of you, straight to the Principal's office, now!"

Butch and Buttercup glared at each other as the teacher disappeared.

"This is your fault," they whispered together.

* * *

><p>By Lunch the girls were each angered in different ways.<p>

"I hate Brick so much!" Blossom growled, placing her head on the lunch table.

"Boomer was so close to cracking," Bubbles complained as she joined her sister.

"I have fucking detention!" Buttercup exclaimed, pounding her fist against the table, "all because of that stupid Butch!"

Bubbles looked up at her sister casually, "you tried to beat him up?"

Buttercup scowled, "So! It was working!"

"They're hiding something I know it, who just disappears for five years with no explanation!" Blossom seethed, rubbing her temples tiredly, "Brick said he wasn't here for us, but he didn't say who he was here _for._"

"Isn't it obvious?"

Bubbles and Blossom looked up to Buttercup who was proudly wearing a very sly and know-it-all expression. She grinned, looking at her sisters knowingly, "it's Blade. Angela was telling me that those guys pretty much protect her with their life."

Blossom frowned, "so they're here because Blade wants to be..."

Bubbles clicked her fingers, "No... they _have _to be here, I mean, they have to protect her! Oh my God, it's so obvious!"

It was Blossom and Buttercup's turn to look at Bubbles with a dumbfounded expression. Bubbles rolled her eyes, placing her hands on the lunch table as she leant in towards her sisters, "if Blade is hurt, then the guys get hurt. I mean you only punched her and Boomer got a headache, if she got badly injured..."

Blossom blinked, "then... the same principals may apply."

Buttercup leant on her folded arms across the table, staring in a bored fashion at her siblings, "it still doesn't explain why they feel her pain, it's kinda messed up... besides, for all we know it could have been just coincidence."

Blossom narrowed her eyes in determination, "we fight giant monsters, super villains and we've even fought zombies... I don't think _anything _is ever just coincidence with us..."

* * *

><p>"Why do we have to hide this from them?" Brick asked, almost desperately. A tone that his siblings were most defiantly not used to.<p>

Since their childhood years, Blade had 'acquired' a certain amount of money to compensate for a house in a rather desolate area on the outskirts of Townsville. It was out of the prying eye and most defiantly missing from any local maps. To the people of Townsville; it didn't exist. And that was what Blade enjoyed the most about it. But Blade wasn't there at that precise moment; she had stayed behind at school, simply skulking out the area. Of course, the boys had offered to stay by her side, but Butch was tucked away in a detention room relatively close to where she was hanging around. To any teachers, she was simply at band club, though she hated the idea of music in general. It was too loud, she enjoyed things quiet. Serene, even.

So it was simply Boomer and Brick at the house, sitting in their rather spacious living room. Boomer was on a leather armchair whereas Brick had taken the couch. He faced his brother seriously, knowing that Boomer was trying to escape the question, "I knew it, you can't think of a reason!" Brick hissed.

Boomer's eyes widened, "Of course there's a reason, Brick, they're our enemies!"

Brick lowered his gaze, attempting to break eye contact with his brother, "they _were _our enemies."

Boomer frowned, leaning further back in his chair, "they missed all of their afternoon classes to stop a bank robbery in Townsville!"

"It doesn't make them _our _enemy!" Brick countered, groaning as he stood up from his position, "the only reason Blade won't let us tell them anything is 'cause she doesn't trust them."

Boomer's face softened as he took into account Brick's attitude towards the situation. This was more than just being annoyed with the way Blade controlled them, this was more than a plea for them to be able to share their secrets... Brick wanted to share his secrets... with _Blossom._

"You really like her don't you?"

Brick's gaze travelled to Boomer, glowering at his weaker sibling. Still, five years on, Brick could beat Boomer in a fight hands down, there was no opposition, but instead of thumping his brother, Brick simply blew out a breath, "we're older now." He reasoned, "I just don't see why we stick to the past."

Boomer shrugged, sighing slightly, "I guess I see where you're coming from..."

Brick grinned slightly, "Boomer and Bubbles sittin' in a tree..."

Boomer instantly defended himself, leaping up from the chair and pointing an accusing finger at his brother, "No!" he yelled, refraining from an attack. He didn't like that... what _was _that? Ever since he'd seen Bubbles in his art class, it was a weird feeling... not anger, not evil... but a _good _feeling. He liked to see Bubbles? "I'm just sayin'!" Boomer said, straightening slightly, "they could help, this is going nowhere on its own."

Brick sighed, digging his hands into his red jacket pockets, staring at the wooden floors, "I doubt they'd help. It's not like they would."

Boomer rose a brow, "you wanna tell her don't you?"

Brick groaned, falling back into his chair, "Maybe."

"You can't," Boomer said in a final tone, "Blade would kill you,"

Brick narrowed his eyes, "she doesn't control me, she never has. We took her in, it's her fault if-"

"Things change!" Boomer yelled, startling Brick with the sudden anger that ruptured, then... just like that, his shoulders slumped and he looked sad again, shaking his head, "can't you see she's bigger than us now?" he sighed, walking out of the room and leaving Brick on his own, "doesn't take a genius..."

* * *

><p>Blossom groaned as she fell onto her bed. The girls had spent all their afternoon classes stopping a few new robbers in town from breaking into three various places. It turned out; the more people that knew the Powerpuff girls were in Townsville, the more that were intent on finding a way around them. Suffice to say, these particular robbers were now cooped up in jail.<p>

By the end of the day, Buttercup was dragged back into detention, a fact the girls rather enjoyed considering it meant, like it or not, she had to be in the same room as Butch and Bubbles had gone to the mall with Robin. The girls had stayed good friends over the years and Robin had always remained their eyes and ears for any strange activity in Townsville. Blossom just liked the fact that they knew some real, _honest _people... people that they could _trust!_

Blossom groaned as she lay alone in her room, staring at the ceiling as if it were some kind of game. She hated the fact that Brick was hiding something from her. She knew it shouldn't have bothered her but...

It didn't take a genius. In those five years, Brick had defiantly gotten more handsome, and each and every mannerism to him had seemed to have changed for the better. He seemed nicer... still a tough guy at heart, and defiantly to look at but... the way he'd grabbed her, the way he'd looked at her speechless. It was like he really wanted to say something to her, but he just couldn't.

_And I just stormed away, what possessed me to do that! _Blossom mentally scolded herself. She'd treated Brick like an enemy though she'd spent five years wishing he'd return. She treated him like dirt... and now she couldn't even take it back. She doubted she'd even see him again at the amount of time he spent guarding Blade.

Suddenly, Blossom jumped as her cell phone sitting on her bedside table vibrated, signalling a new text message, it was from an unknown number. Blossom studied the phone for a moment, internally arguing whether or not to even check out what it said, or to just delete it as an obvious scam of some kind. Blossom shrugged and went onto the text, reading it with relaxed eyes until...

_Blossom_

_Meet me at the park in ten minutes._

_-Brick_

Blossom could have wondered how Brick had managed to get her phone number, she _could _have refused to go on an account of the fact it could have been a trap... but her heart just _knew. _This was her chance and she had to take it.

* * *

><p>OoOh, are we going to find out what this secret is! Yes... yes you are... :3 In the next chapter my pretties! Staaay tuuuned! xXx (THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS)<p> 


	7. The Reveal

:) Yes, now you will finally find out what Blade and the boys are hiding, hope you enjoy! :3

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

Blossom flew towards the park, unsure of what she was looking for. Brick didn't have her number, how could he have even texted her? It made no sense, and because of that factor, Blossom stayed vigilant.

Blossom couldn't help but revel in the little time that she spent in the air, feeling the cool breeze flow through her long red locks as she revelled in the tranquillity of openly flying above Townsville. Nothing could disturb her here, no one could complain. She could simply fly where no one could hear her and stay there for as long as she wanted.

"Blossom?"

Blossom opened her eyes to see Brick floating before her, looking at her in a confused manner, "I said _at _the park, not above it." Brick said.

Blossom blinked, still slightly shaken by being interrupted so suddenly, "Oh... so it really _was _you."

Brick shrugged, "Yeah,"

"But... how did you-"

"-Get your number?" Brick grinned, rolling his eyes, "it wasn't hard, trust me,"

Blossom frowned, "I'm not sure I like the way you-"

But before she could finish, Brick had already grabbed her arm and guided her to the ground. They landed softly on the grass, sending a strange feeling coursing through the Powerpuff. Blossom felt... content. Just being there with Brick. The anger she'd felt about him had completely vanished... here, in the dying light of the sun as it crept away behind the tallest buildings in Townsville, Brick was bathed in the warmth of a golden hugh. Blossom could have stared at him forever.

"You know why I texted you."

Blossom blinked, blushing as she realised that Brick had been staring at her strangely, most likely due to the fact that she kept zoning out on him. Blossom shrugged, "Dunno," she said slowly, watching Brick's actions carefully.

Brick blew out a breath, looking behind his shoulder slightly as he guided Blossom to a park bench. "I'm gonna tell you what's going on," Brick said quickly.

"What!" Blossom's eyes widened, but she looked at Brick with one brow raised. This was obviously a large secret, something that seemed to be important, Hell, together all three sisters couldn't break the boys, "are you sure?" she asked unsurely.

Brick narrowed his eyes, "'course I'm sure, I'll probably get killed for it but yes!"

Blossom frowned, "what's going on, what could be _such _a big secret that..."

"Blossom!" Brick cut her off and sat down next to her, looking at her honestly, "I'm gonna tell you the truth, but you have to promise me that you'll believe me."

Blossom blinked speechlessly, but nodded nonetheless. She could believe this boy, she could trust him. No matter who he was, no matter who he had become... she would always trust him now. "Alright."

"Good," Brick took in a deep breath and looked behind his shoulder before finally holding onto Blossom's wrists, pulling her in closely. Blossom watched Brick's scarlet gaze glisten as his mouth opened to speak, she watched him as he had to look around him worriedly. Brick was afraid; she was almost positive he wasn't going to say anything when sure enough. He spoke.

"Blade is a witch."

Blossom's face fell as she recoiled, acting as if Brick had physically punched her in the face. She gave him a deadpanned expression a moment before removing her wrists from his grip, "really Brick? If you wanted to lie to me then..."

"I'm serious!" Brick had grabbed Blossom's arms again, pulling her closer to him. She didn't like it. She was worried.

"B-brick, get off now!"

"Blossom, you said you'd believe me!"

"That's before I heard how stupid your answer was!" Blossom hissed.

"I'm not kidding!" Brick growled, suddenly tightening his grip on Blossom's arms, "she did something bad... something she shouldn't have and-"

"BRICK!"

Brick let go of Blossom's arms as Blossom gasped in shock. Blade had appeared from seemingly out of nowhere, her eyes narrowed and fixed on their target as she walked forwards, her form shrouded in a thin fog seeping around her body like an invisible shroud, "Brick, what the fuck do you think you're doing!"

Brick stood up, walking up to Blade stronger than before, "how did you even find out!" he yelled.

Blade folded her arms, smiling darkly, "Boomer let me in, a moment of weakness if you ask me."

Blossom watched Blade in astonishment, "w-where did you come from?" she asked.

Blade lifted her arms in the air in exasperation, "so you tell her and this is what I get?" Blade ran over to Blossom and grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her into an involuntary standing position, "I teleported, flying would have taken too long," she tapped Blossom on the nose playfully before ripping herself from the Powerpuff and lifting her arms up to the Heavens, "oh for Christ sake Brick, why'd you have to go and do it!"

"They need to know," Brick growled, grabbing Blade by the shoulder, "they can help us!"

"NO!" Blade yelled, pushing Brick from her body with brute strength as he skidded across the grass. Blossom's heart plummeted into her stomach as she watched the boy collide with the dirt.

"Brick!" Blossom yelled, running up to the Rowdyruff boy as he attempted to pick himself up from the ground.

Blossom's head was swimming as she tried to pull him to her. That word kept running through her head. _Witch. Teleport... Witch! _Why... _how? What's going on?_

How could someone... how could witches even exist? Blossom winced a moment, thinking back to when they were five, back to when they watched a zombie movie, _how could zombies exist? Then we beat up a zombie magician..._

Blossom took in a deep breath, helping Brick to his feet, "Alright!" she yelled, holding her hands up, "n-no more." She turned towards Blade, who was wearing a playfully dark expression as she fiddled with a strand of her grey locks, "Look, I've only just heard this, but I'd promise I'd believe him," Blossom nodded to herself as she felt Brick squeeze her shoulder in a silent thank you, "whatever you're doing here... _whoever _you're here for, I think we can help. My sisters I mean... _your _sisters." Blossom looked deep into Blade's gaze. She could see the anger there, the annoyance, but beyond there... she was almost positive she could see some kind of vulnerability. Some kind of _fear. _"What's going on?" she pleaded.

Blade looked to Blossom, stunned. She folded her arms and shrugged, looking towards Brick with venom in her gaze, "I _was _going to wipe your memory, but..." Blade was suddenly right in front of Blossom, staring at her darkly into her eyes, "if I tell you; that means you bring in all of your family, all of your sisters. Buttercup and Bubbles will be in on this whether they like it or not."

Blossom hated it, but at that moment she couldn't help it. With little will power she put a hand on her sister's shoulder, squeezing it much like Brick had done to her, "I want to help you, we all do. You're still family."

* * *

><p>That's how Blossom found herself, sitting in her living room with her three sisters and the Rowdyruff boys – much to their discontent – who had been dragged along for the ride.<p>

Buttercup shifted her gaze tiredly towards Blade who had stood herself in the centre of the room, ready to speak aloud.

"I don't get it," she said finally, "I mean a witch? Really?"

Blade narrowed her eyes, "you fight giant monsters and you're all super heroes but no... a _witch _is too hard for you to believe?"

Bubbles leant her chin on the edge of their sofa, eyeing Blade nervously, "so... if you really _are _a witch... how did it happen, I mean is there a ritual or something or do you just... _become _one?"

Blade rolled her shoulders, "it was a bit messed up to tell you the truth, it happened when me and the guys were thirteen, we'd been causing trouble down near Nevada and... well," Blade rubbed the back of her neck nervously, "_apparently _we disrupted the peace and tranquillity within a witch coven."

Blossom noticed Brick tense from the other side of the room where he was standing by his brothers. Obviously, they were rather uncomfortable standing in their old enemy's home. Blade looked towards Brick and rolled her eyes dismissively, "okay, it was more of _my _fault. We'd been scaring locals and stealing things and well... I thought it was some kind of party going on out in the desert and it turned out it was..." Blade's eyes shifted to her three sisters, "a coven... of witches,"

Buttercup sighed tiredly, "okay, if that really is true then what were these 'witches' doing?"

Blade smirked darkly, folding her arms as she rocked casually on her heels, "ah, you see that's the strange part, they were performing a spell, you see witches get together as covens every full moon and do this ritual where they stand in a circle and hold hands and chant 'The Spell of Good Fortunes', it helps the world keep in balance more or less, stops too many tragedies from going on," Blade rolled her eyes as she sighed, digging her hands into her grey jacket, "the point being, I led the guys into that circle and we accidently broke it, the concentration and therefore the circle."

Bubbles had leant further in by this point, driving herself further forwards on the couch as she listened carefully. If witches truly existed, their culture sounded wonderful. The things they did... the peace and harmony of it all. She was rather excited to know of such a thing.

"So you broke the circle and they made you a witch?" Blossom asked exasperatedly, "that sounds pretty nice for someone who broke some old yearly ritual."

"You don't know the worse of it," Brick sighed from the corner, leaning his head against the wall. From what the girls could tell, although Blade's eyes were lit with energy for the conversation to be had, the boys seemed rather drained, bored and unsociable about the entire situation.

"_Anyway!_" Blade hissed, staring darkly towards her red brother, "Of course, as you would expect from a very ancient civilisation of Witches, they were displeased with my actions; in fact at first they thought I was a dark Witch because of the powers that I expressed, I had to explain to them that-"

"Wait!" Buttercup held up a hand as soon as she heard the new word, "a dark Witch? As in the Witches in fairy tales in black cloaks and hats that use black magic?"

Blade shrugged, "they don't necessarily wear black cloaks and pointy hats but yes, they use black magic." Blade then rolled her shoulders, crossing the room to perch on an arm chair that sat in the far corner from all the supers in the room, Blade blew out a casual breath as she sat down, cross legged, "When we explained who we were, the Witches weren't pleased, but... because of my existing power, they cut me a deal."

Blade took in a breath, watching her sisters closely as they each watched her, waiting for the next words from her lips. "They gave me a curse that I couldn't break, the power of Witchcraft for mine to hold." Blade sighed, "I have to use my powers for good or..."

Brick had pushed himself from the wall at this point as he walked over to Blade, "or we all get punished," he finished, turning to the three sisters who had recoiled with the anger in his tone. Boomer and Butch joined their leading brother in the centre of the room, each as agitated as their red sibling. "Blade forgot to mention one rather important issue," Boomer growled, folding his arms.

"That _we_ pay for Blade's mistakes and to make sure she doesn't get into any trouble _we_ must protect her." Butch added.

"Or we feel what she feels," Brick finished, glaring at their sister with an almost venomous gaze. Blossom watched Brick's eyes blaze at his sister and for a moment, _just _a moment, she was truly afraid of what might happen.

"So you three aren't Witches?" Buttercup asked suddenly, disrupting the awkward atmosphere.

Blade shook her head, "No, but they're pretty damn close. The Coven gave them the name 'Guardian' which is the Witch's carer of sorts... they have better strengths and abilities than the average Human and a life span which surpasses that of one too," Blade winked at her sisters, "for as long as I live, they can't die."

Brick growled, "but if she dies..."

Boomer and Butch looked at each other and then at the floor. Bubbles watched heart-brokenly as she saw pain wash across their faces. A vulnerable sense that she had never seen of the brother's before. They were truly afraid of what the future may hold and honestly, so was she.

"But you're not alone anymore," Bubbles insisted, "We're going to help you."

"What?" Buttercup and Butch asked together, instantly glaring at one another once they'd done so.

Blossom nodded, holding her body close with her arms as she stood up, looking at Blade knowingly, "if you really are as you claim, then we will help. It's only right, if you're truly doing good then..."

"Oh I have to," Blade hissed, rolling her eyes, "y'see the Coven don't just make me do good stuff like helping people, that would be too light a punishment, I have to go a step further. I have to stop the dark Witches,"

Buttercup stood up suddenly, lifting her arms in the air, "that's it!" she yelled, moving to walk away, "I've had enough of this, she ain't telling the truth, she's lying!" As Buttercup went to make her move, she suddenly felt a force against her chest, pushing her back into the chair. Buttercup looked up, slightly winded as she saw Blade on the other side of the room, her eyes glowing a distant, vacant grey as she cocked her head to one side. Buttercup gasped as she felt her body push further and further into the sofa, slowly choking her.

"Blade!" the three boys were already crowded around her. Butch and Boomer grabbed her arms as Brick forced her back into the arm chair. Buttercup felt the invisible hold loosen as she took a gasp of well-needed air, choking on the sudden pressure it put on her lungs.

Blossom and Bubbles were instantly by their sister's side, "what the Hell was so good about that!" Blossom spat, helping Buttercup into a better position.

Blade narrowed her eyes, "she wouldn't have believed me otherwise," she growled, pushing her brothers from her body as she pointed towards her now clear eyes, "I'm fine! See?"

Blossom frowned, "So then, you stop the dark Witches, do they have covens too?"

Blade shook her head, "they stay alone. It's better that way. It's also better to kill them that way."

"Kill?" Bubbles nearly squealed, but controlled her voice nonetheless, "what do you mean? That doesn't sound like a good Witch."

Blade shook her head, smiling darkly at the ground, "this isn't a fairy tale, Witches aren't going around granting wishes or here for the better good. We're in tuned with nature, we'll help the world if it's going to shit, but we'll be killers if we have to be. Dark Witches are bad news, and the only way to stop them is to kill them."

* * *

><p><em>The only way to stop them is to kill them...<em>

* * *

><p>Blossom sighed as she lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling once more. This was getting out of control. Though Buttercup was against it, she'd offered for Blade and her brothers to spend the night at the house. Considering it was a Saturday tomorrow, Blossom thought it for the best if everyone had a night to think about it. Blade had been put up in the spare room but the Rowdyruffs had been left for their own accord. Blossom didn't really know how it worked... did they have to sleep around her? Did they have to stay up all night as guards? Did they take shifts? It was weird to know that your friends were Guardians and Witches.<p>

_Friends? _Is that was what she was calling them now? She hardly knew Blade and as for the Rowdyruff boys... they'd been enemies up until a few days ago. Blade had told the sisters that the reason they'd returned was because there was a Dark Witch in the area. Meaning, after this Witch was scoped out... would they leave again? Did this mean Brick would leave again? Just after she was coming to terms with her feelings?

"Blossom?"

Blossom nearly fell off her bed as she turned to see Brick at her door, his large scarlet eyes illuminating the darkness of her room.

"I did knock," he pointed out, still holding on to his side of the door, "you okay?"

Blossom narrowed her eyes, "I just found out that Witches exist, how do you think I feel?"

"Like your world just exploded around you, like you thought you knew all the surprises that could ever happen and then a new one gets shipped to you in an unexpected package."

Blossom watched Brick, stunned as he walked into the room. He looked at her and shrugged, "it's how I felt. We didn't even get any warning. The Coven made us what we were without any words. We're Guardians and we don't want to be."

Blossom watched as Brick seemed to digress into the shadows of her room. Her stared blankly at the window, at the silent night outside. She sighed, patting her bed lightly, "come sit."

Brick eyed her strangely but Blossom just chuckled, "I won't bite," she promised.

Blossom watched as Brick sat on the bed, edging slightly closer to him as he looked at her tiredly, "Is being a Guardian that bad?" Blossom asked quietly, looking away suddenly.

Brick shrugged, "you'd think it'd be great, having the extra power, the knowledge to know you could kill someone so easily... but," Brick sighed, letting his shoulders sag as he looked out into the darkened room, "when you know you have to protect someone with your life... someone that at some points you just can't _stand... _A person that you're forced to be connected to, someone who if we let in can read our thoughts." Brick sighed, "When you know you can never be alone..." Blossom watched as Brick's hands clenched into fists. She could see the rage in his body as he physically shook. She didn't know what to do... she didn't know what to _say _to make the situation feel any better. He was so angry, so lost... so _afraid._

Blossom didn't realise she was doing it until she felt her arms around his body. She hugged him from behind, wrapping her arms under his shoulders and around his chest, nuzzling into his back as she felt his warmth against her face. Smelt his scent... felt his closeness...

Brick was startled, but didn't pull away. He didn't have the mental strength to leave her. Not again... not _ever _again. He could smell her sweet perfume as it radiated from her body, he could feel her thin fingers grab onto his jacket, keeping him in place. He knew she needed the comfort, and somewhere; he knew he needed it too.

Brick felt as Blossom pulled him down onto his back. And they just _lay _there. Next to each other, holding each other.

"Stay here tonight." Blossom suggested quietly, squeezing his hand gently.

Brick turned his head to see Blossom's gaze burning into his. She bit her lip nervously. Awaiting a reply. Brick loved it when she bit her lip, when she looked worried. It used to be the kind of thing he waited for in a fight. Now he saw a new meaning in it entirely.

Looking at her there... under the light of the half moon...

_God, he loved her. _He knew it. He loved her.

With little thought on both parts, the two counterparts leant in on each other, feeling their lips press in a passionate kiss. They held each other there, feeling the warmth and comfort, holding their lips together with as much passion they could gather as their previous thoughts slid away into the back of their minds.

After a few moments, Blossom drew away, breathless.

Brick let her head fit into the crook of his neck as he smiled, "I'll stay."

Blossom just stared into the dark, closing her eyes as she felt him hold her there. "Good."

* * *

><p>Yes! Blade's a Witch, the boys are her Guardians and it looks like Brick and Blossom may finally become an item. I wonder what will happen with Bubbles and Buttercup. :) You'll find out. SOOON.<p> 


	8. Gone too Far

:3 Sorry that it's quite short but I hope that you enjoy nonetheless!

Also, in response to a recent review, Witch Covens exist all over the world, it just so happened that this particular Coven was in Nevada, (Just in case it wasn't clear) On to the chapter! x Oh and thank you sooo much for the reviews, you guys are great! :D xxx For you! xxx

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 8<em>

After the conversation, Blade retired to her bedroom explaining that she was going to use the time to meditate, a way to strengthen her powers so she could then use a location spell, - a way of sensing how close a Dark Witch was to their current location.

That left Boomer, Bubbles, Butch and Buttercup downstairs in the living room. Neither of the girls felt tired, and considering the boys had felt compelled to stay awake to make sure they could stay fully connected to Blade in case she got into trouble, they thought they might as well keep them company.

"So," Bubbles said, popping a piece of popcorn into her mouth as the supers huddled around the TV screen, watching a very cheap, low budget horror movie from the 70's; "Is it just Witches that exist or are there others?"

Boomer was sat next to Bubbles on the floor, his blonde locks had flopped over his eyes almost entirely as he went to grab a piece of popcorn, he raised his brow slightly at the question; "when you say 'others'..."

"Like... other fairy tale creatures, if there's wicked Witches and white Witches then are there elves or fairies or stuff like that?"

"Fairies are a bitch to talk to," Butch piped in from the sofa where he'd sprawled himself.

"No kidding." Buttercup added sarcastically from the armchair, "so Fairies exist that's great and all but what about the hardcore stuff like the bad creatures that give kids nightmares?"

Butch and Boomer looked at each other for a moment before shrugging, "what do you mean by that?" Boomer asked.

Bubbles grinned, "okay, I'll expand... what about Vampires or Werewolves or Demons... y'know the deep immortal monster deal?"

Boomer grinned, "oh well of course _they _exist."

"Yeah, except Werewolves tend to just stick to wolf form, it's a simpler life... less drama." Butch grinned.

"So the full moon thing's a lie?" Buttercup asked, her voice hitched slightly. Bubbles rolled her eyes. Something told her that she was _actually _getting interested.

Boomer and Butch laughed, "big lie," Boomer snorted, "they get a bit more powerful on a full moon, but who doesn't?"

"What about the others?"

Boomer looked to Bubbles, whose face had fallen. Her tone had become more serious, if not a little wary.

"What?" Boomer asked, noticing her sagged features and wondering internally whether he should do something. Put a hand on her comfortingly? Was that what friends did? Comfort?

"Vampires," Bubbles said, her voice lowered, "they exist?"

"'Course," Butch sniggered, " but there're not all twisted romantics, they're more like servants of the Dark Witches, complete tools."

"So... what about the stories? Holy water, sunlight, stakes through the heart...?" Buttercup began to list them off on her fingers, "I mean all those movies..."

"Lies." The boys said together, shrugging, "the sunlight's a bit uncomfortable, but when you spend most of your life in the shadows who's to blame you?" Butch grinned.

"Holy water and crosses are myths, stakes through the heart don't do any good, it's a dead organ." Boomer shrugged, "as far as I've heard, the only way to cleanly execute one of those sorry ass creatures is with good old fashioned decapitation."

"And what about the blood drinking?" Bubbles asked, "do they do that? Do they still bite people and convert them?"

"Oh yeah," Boomer said, nodding, "blood is their life; they need it, preferably fresh."

"As for converting, it's as good as the legends say. A bite on the neck to stop the heart and the person's as good as vampire." Butch smirked reaching between the two blondes to grab a handful of popcorn from the bowl.

Bubbles visibly paled, "d-do they walk about... would we know?"

Butch lay on his back on the couch, completely bored of the movie at this point, "well, they usually give themselves away what with the fangs and the unsociable attitudes,"

"Plus, they're nearly always found near a Dark Witch; usually they are summoned to do their bidding. It's quite weak really, but Vampires will do anything for a bit of blood."

Boomer leaned in to Bubbles, including Buttercup in his gaze, "some say, Dark Witch blood is supposed to be the most irresistible blood in this known world."

Bubbles stuck out her tongue, "that's sick!" she complained.

Boomer rolled his shoulders, "completely," he agreed.

It was a few more minutes before anyone spoke after that. Bubbles and Boomer relaxed back into the film and Butch and Buttercup continued to stare blankly at the screen, pretending that the cheap effects and poor acting held a thrill to their lives.

"So, you ever killed a Dark Witch?"

Boomer and Butch looked up to Buttercup who was looking seriously at the boys. She shrugged when she saw their wide eyes and open mouths, "what?" she asked calmly.

"That's a bit uncalled for..." Bubbles muttered under her breath to which Buttercup simply rolled her eyes, "it's a simple yes or no question," Buttercup reminded, looking at the boys once more, "so, have you?"

"Not... Not, alone." Boomer said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"A Dark Witch is an impossible enemy, their magic is completely uncontrollable and reckless," Butch added, breaking eye contact with his raven haired counterpart, "When you have a job to do..."

"You have to protect Blade whilst she fights a Dark Witch..." Bubbles stated sadly, looking at Boomer as he visibly slumped in his position. She could see the sadness radiating from him, dark memories of his past where he'd most likely witnessed Blade murder a Witch... a human being. A murder in which he had assisted.

"How do they die?"

Bubbles herself flinched at the heartless question thrown out by Buttercup. She wanted to stop her sister from doing this... from resurfacing bad memories from the boys; but she wouldn't, not even if Bubbles had physically tried to stop her.

"You... well," Boomer's mouth became unmoving, his eyes flickering with pain as he looked away.

"A special blade... coated with the sap of a Hawthorne tree." Butch said; his gaze unmoving from Buttercup. He knew what she was trying to do. She was _still _trying to inflict pain on the boys. Her childishness was uncalled for, but at the same time Butch couldn't help but envy how easy it was for her to calmly break a person down. So very _easily..._

"Does it hurt them?" Buttercup asked emotionlessly.

"That's enough BC." Bubbles muttered.

"I don't think so." Buttercup said, narrowing her eyes.

"Seriously, BC, stop!" Bubbles insisted, her voice heightening slightly.

Buttercup just shrugged and folded her arms.

"Are you okay?" Bubbles asked towards Boomer, who had closed his eyes to try and rid of the images that coursed through his head. Although the strength and senses were an amazing thing to behold, he _hated _being a Guardian. Someone with so much responsibility, someone who couldn't sleep at night, someone haunted by the Dark Witches that he had helped to kill.

_They need to die._

Boomer felt thin arms slide around his body as a pair of warm lips pressed against his cheek. His eyes slid open to see Bubbles' warm gaze grazing his, a small smile on her lips as she withdrew from him, "better?" she asked.

"Bubbles has only been waiting her lifetime to do that," Buttercup snickered.

"Hey!" Bubbles growled, "He was in pain, because of you!"

"You still would have done it," Buttercup pointed out, glaring at her sister.

"Would you?"

Bubbles blinked as she looked back to Boomer who was staring at her wide eyed, his hand rubbing the place that she'd kissed him. Bubbles couldn't tell whether he was shocked, happy or scared... his eyes didn't move from her gaze. She felt her heart plummet.

_How could she answer?_

"Maybe," she said, startled.

"If it's any constellation, Boomer likes you too," Butch said grimly, rolling her eyes, "personally I don't see the attraction."

It was Bubbles' turn to stare at Boomer, "really?"

Boomer didn't know what to say. He didn't know whether to punch his brother or finally own up... he'd never told his brothers but the attraction was almost visible when it came to talking Powerpuff, almost as obvious as the attraction that was obviously shared between Brick and Blossom.

Boomer just shrugged, blushing slightly, "I..."

Bubbles smiled, "you're nice Boomer, nicer than you were when we were five."

Boomer cleared his throat, frowning slightly, "well... yeah... I c-changed," he cringed, hating how suddenly he couldn't find the strength to form words. Caught in the grip of her voice...

Bubbles' eyes softened, "maybe, I don't know, maybe you'd like to go out with me some time we could try it out, y'know if you wanted..."

"Tomorrow?" Boomer tried to cut out the enthusiasm but it didn't work.

Bubbles smiled, still staring into Boomer's eyes wondering, suddenly very self consciously, whether she was seeming seductive or psychopathic, "I'd like that." She smiled, feeling her face heat up.

"Me too." Boomer replied, breaking eye contact as he felt the awkwardness of the situation rise to new levels.

"Oh, sick fest!" Butch grimaced, staring back at the ceiling.

"Yeah," Buttercup agreed, folding her arms.

"Where's Brick when you need him?" Butch groaned, rolling his eyes.

Bubbles and Buttercup shared looks before smirking, "Um... I could make a pretty good guess," Bubbles chuckled.

Butch's eyes widened in shock as he recounted where exactly Brick had disappeared to... upstairs, to Blossom's... "Oh, oh great!" Butch muttered, covering his eyes with his hands, "two for the price of fucking one."

The three chuckled at Butch's displeasure as they eased their way back into the movie another time.

Butch couldn't help but notice the sudden closeness that Boomer and Bubbles had created in the moments they had realised that their attraction to one another had indeed been mutual. Butch had seen it in Boomer's eyes from the beginning; though as a pretty annoying kid he'd shown little to no attraction, there was still a moment of shock on his face every time Bubbles had approached him, a moment of silence, of... nervousness. Boomer had always been the weakest of the brothers, and they had made fun of that a lot of the time, but now... being the weaker brother had seemed to have worked on his advantage. Butch couldn't help but admit that the two blondes were near-to perfect for each other, they each had a mean streak, they each had a weak streak, they each liked stupid things like art and music... but, as Butch had guessed this only seemed to make them a closer pair.

Then his gaze travelled to Buttercup, a girl that he had despised the moment he had set eyes on when he was five. She had beaten him senseless and he had beaten her, in fact some of those times being as close as less than a day ago. They still treated each other like enemies, and watching Buttercup from there, he could see the anger that simmered behind her eyes. He'd learnt from Buttercup well, and when she was unable to leave her mark physically, she would sure as Hell give it a go using mental damage. Her physical strength was something larger than her sisters, perhaps even more than Blade, but even Butch could see her soul deteriorating inside. That aggression had nowhere to go when her longest enemy was now an ally. She was in pain from the sudden changes in her life and Butch could relate. Going from public menace to Guardian of a Good Witch in the space of a few minutes was the most life-changing moment of his life. Yet he still chose to make Buttercup's life Hell. Just to make everything seem more comfortable for the pair.

It was at that point that Buttercup noticed him staring, "what you lookin' at?" she practically spat.

Butch instantly became defensive, his eyes narrowing as he went to reply, when suddenly his entire being was engulfed in a sudden uncomfortable flood of heat as a shrill scream took over his mind.

Bubbles was instantly on alert as she too heard the scream emanating from upstairs, but before she could even react, both boys had already disappeared from the room in a flash of light, most likely already at the source of the noise. Blade's room.

Buttercup and Bubbles shared looks of discontent before they warily followed the two brothers up the stairs. The door to Blade's bedroom was wide open from the boy's sudden attention, and from the look of the slightly dazed Blossom standing awkwardly in the hallway, the girls guessed that Brick had reacted in the exact same way.

"So... did you two..." Buttercup began as she looked Blossom up and down.

"No!" Blossom hissed, narrowing her eyes, "nothing happened... pay attention!"

"Yeah... I don't think location spells are supposed to do that," Bubbles muttered.

"Oh what would you know? You've known Witches existed for the magical total of thirty minutes!" Buttercup replied sarcastically.

The girls were about to bicker when their attention was drawn back to Blade's room as she groaned out, in apparent hysterics. The three sisters were in the room like shots, joining their male counterparts at their sister's aid.

Blade was on her back on her bed, her eyes wide, misted over in a strange grey hugh, the kind of look you'd expect someone who'd been possessed to pull off. Blade struggled in obvious discomfort, as if she was pinned to the bed but there were no shackles evident, no obstructions to keep her down. "Too close!" she moaned, her head writhing from one side to the other, "s-she's too close!"

Brick's eyes widened as he appeared by Blade's side, "how close?" he urged.

Blade's right arm suddenly tensed as it jolted up from its position and grabbed Brick cleanly on the forearm. Blade looked directly into Brick's gaze, her teeth gritting together as she took in three uneven breaths, "t-the school, s-she's at the s-school!"

* * *

><p>Again, sorry for this being so short, but I'll try to make a longer one next time! Ooo, so it looks like the Witch is closer than we thought, a student at the school... can the supers work together to find out who it is - or will the thought of losing the boys after the investigation is over change a few minds on what is important? FIND OUT NEXT TIME! xx<p>

AND thank you again for the reviews, they are my muse. :3


	9. Wiped Out

Not my best work, but it came to my attention that I hadn't actually added a chapter in a few days so, here you go! :3 Enjoy! And thank you for the reviews!

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><p><strong>Chapter 9<strong>

After Blade had calmed down, her entire body seemed to be drained. The boys had explained to them that it was something that happened if an effect of her spell didn't go quite as planned, which in this case had happened to a very large extent.

"But _what _happened?" Buttercup demanded to the boys as Boomer put a damp cloth on Blade's head, allowing her the space to rest.

Brick sighed and shrugged, "whoever this Dark Witch is, they've been closer than we imagined." Brick dug his hands into his pockets, "usually Blade can sense them... but this one's different, much more powerful."

"When you say close?" Bubbles asked awkwardly.

"You heard her," Butch snapped, "this Witch is at the school!"

"That's not close enough," Brick growled back, his eyes flashing a dangerous red towards his brother, signalling for him to back off. It sent chills down Blossom's spine to see him this way. He was obviously worried for the safety of everyone involved in this Witch hunt; "for Blade to have reacted in that way means one thing..." Brick let out a deep breath, looking towards the floor, "someone here has been in contact with this person, brushed up against them... spoken to them. _Something._"

"That could be anyone!" Blossom tried, sighing in exasperation, "We can't just recall everyone we've walked past in the last forty-eight hours!"

"Everyone _female,_" Boomer noted as he joined his brothers, "The Coven is strictly matriarchal."

Buttercup sighed, rubbing her face, "still, that's a Hell of a lot of people; you don't suppose we could frame it on Princess and get it over with?" Buttercup looked at her sisters who were each giving her very cold stares, she rolled her shoulders and grinned, "it was only a suggestion," she defended.

Boomer looked back to the bed and then to his brothers, "we should probably give her some time..." he suggested.

The two other brothers looked at the sleeping Blade and nodded together, guiding the three sisters out of the room silently.

It was then that Blossom noticed the sagged features on each of the boy's faces. If they could feel her pain, surely they'd also felt the energy drain that Blade had given herself. Her theory only became stronger as she watched the trio yawn together, poorly concealing their lack of energy.

"Maybe we should all get some rest?" Blossom suggested as she looked at Brick unsurely.

Brick gave his brothers a once over, also noticing his own depleted energy.

"Not a bad idea," Butch muttered.

Brick looked back to Blade's closed door, "We can't just-"

"Leave that to us," Blossom smiled, "we'll guard Blade's room, make sure nothing happens."

Blossom was almost positive that Brick's face fell with the knowledge that she wouldn't be by his side during the night, and had to conceal a smile that spread across her face. Bubbles turned to Boomer and they exchanged an awkward hug, unsure of how exactly to attack the situation of their current relationship. Buttercup just rolled her eyes at Butch when he crossed her path, still agitated with the fact that she had no easy outlet for her anger these days, what with the better trained Police in Townsville; they were hardly ever called upon. Buttercup had to make do with punching bags and students at school. Butch didn't even engage Buttercup with eye contact; he instead walked past her like she didn't exist as the trio disappeared downstairs.

Bubbles looked towards Blossom warily, "so how are we gonna do this?"

Blossom shrugged, "do you want to take shifts or...?"

Buttercup grinned, "If we take shifts you'll be able to spend some time with your special-"

"Shut up Buttercup," Blossom growled, pointing an agitated, authorative finger at her sister. Buttercup however, didn't take this as a warning to back down; "Oh please, you really expect me to believe that nothing happened... he went to your room didn't he?"

Blossom felt her face warm up, "that's really none of your business."

"Not even a kiss?" Bubbles asked, her eyes widening as soon as the words passed her lips. "Oh God, I'm sorry!"

Blossom rolled her eyes, "its fine, especially when I can see you're in the same boat."

Bubbles felt her heart plummet, "how did you even-"

"Hugging Boomer?" Blossom teased.

"...Yeah, we're... well we're..."

"Going on a date tomorrow," Buttercup finished for her blonde sister, sticking her tongue out childishly as Bubbles made a weak swipe at her green sibling.

"Okay girls, enough!" Blossom sighed, raising her hands in finality, "this joke's gone on long enough, we need to work out a rota."

"Yeah so you can-"

Blossom quickly pressed the palm of her hand to Buttercup's lips, eyeing her warily as she pulled back slightly, "we kissed." Blossom stated with a slight grin, "that's as far as it got."

Buttercup smirked, nodding her head in approval for what she had heard as Blossom began to talk through the sleeping arrangements for that evening.

* * *

><p>By morning, the girls had each taken a shift each. Blossom, who had taken the final shift had felt half compelled to go and see Brick, but from the looks of it, all four siblings were completely wiped out in a way that Blossom began wondering if they would have even woken up for the apocalypse.<p>

When Blossom saw the first of the light shine through from the window on the far hall wall, she decided to look in on Blade. Blade was asleep, completely still on her left side. Her eyes seemed to be doused in more than just black eyeliner as Blossom could still see the bags that seemed quite profound reaching around the bottom of her eyes. Blossom sighed; this probably meant the boys wouldn't be a bundle of laughs this morning either. Instead, she decided to do something more important with her time.

That morning, Blossom dragged Bubbles out of bed, leaving Buttercup to keep watch on the household of sleeping supers. In Blossom's opinion it gave Buttercup the chance to really think over her current relationship with the boys and her other sister. It was obviously something Buttercup had on her mind, Blossom only needed to see the way that Buttercup continually stared at Butch to know that much. She _still _didn't trust them, but at that point, Blossom just didn't have the time or energy for that kind of behaviour.

And not just because of how well things seemed to be going for her and Brick...

Bubbles and Blossom flew into the centre of Townsville to a small coffee shop where they'd arranged for a very special contact to meet them. They needed somewhere that they could freely chat, and considering it was a Saturday and no one spent their Saturdays awake at 7.00am attempting to wake themselves _up, _Blossom thought it the perfect place.

"You did say seven right?" Bubbles asked worriedly as she checked her watch a third time in the space of five minutes, "are you sure she got the message?"

Blossom rolled her eyes, "Bubbles, remember, she would have gotten the bus, not everyone can fly."

Bubbles took in a deep breath and rested her head on the table that they had picked at the back of the room, "you're right." She sighed, "She'll be able to see us here though right? We are a little concealed... y'know in the shadow..."

"That's the point," Blossom had to refrain from laughing aloud at her sister's jittery self. Something told her Bubbles still hadn't quite gotten over the news of last night's events.

Then, only moments later did the two sisters look up as they heard the door of the shop open, and a tall, slender female entered the building.

Robin.

She too had filled out in the days since their childhood, growing her brunette locks long past her shoulders in a straightened fashion. Robin simply wore a white blouse and black skirt, a small green beret nesting perfectly on the side of her head in addition. She grinned as soon as she saw the glowing eyes of her long-term friends, the two Powerpuffs she had hung out with since her very first day at Pokey Oak's.

"Hey! Bloss, Bubbles!" Robin grinned as she slid into the seat next to the blonde Powerpuff, "What is it that you need to talk to me about?"

Blossom and Bubbles shared looks of concern before they nodded at one another. Blossom leant in on the table, taking into account the fact that they were currently the only people in the shop except for one very tired person behind the cashier who didn't look up for standing let alone listening in on what they had to say.

"When I tell you what I'm about to tell you..." Blossom whispered, looking to Bubbles once more before she finished, "you have to promise to believe me."

Robin grinned, "of course I will."

Bubbles leant in to her best friend, "really... because what we're going to say will sound crazy."

Robin rolled her eyes, "giant monsters, evil super counterparts, zombies, talking monkeys and _Him._" Robin looked at her friends seriously folding her arms against the table as she smirked slightly, "Trust me, I can take it."

So, with one deep breath, Blossom explained their situation, allowing Bubbles to add in extra points or things she missed out along the way. Robin stared at the two sisters, at first her face was expressionless, but it slowly seemed to ease into understanding after ten minutes of what look liked extreme shock.

"So... the Rowdyruffs are good now...?" Robin asked.

Blossom nodded her head and Bubbles simply gave her a 'so-so' sign with her hands, shrugging slightly.

"And they're Guardians to that evil extra sister of yours who disappeared... but now she's good and she's also a Witch?"

Blossom smiled, "that's it, you're getting the hang of it!"

Robin swallowed, visibly paling, "so... all the things that go bump in the night, all those myths and stories of monsters and mythical creatures, they're all real..."

"As far as we can tell." Bubbles sighed, placing her right hand on her cheek tiredly, "I want Boomer to tell me more about fairies but I don't want to sound lame."

"It shouldn't," Blossom smiled sympathetically for her sister, seeing the longing she had for knowing more about the realm of impossible creatures, "fairies in most cultures are incredibly intelligent creatures, in fact, in Irish cultures they're even considered quite troublesome."

"There goes Bloss putting on her special intellectual cap," Robin chuckled, patting her pink eyed friend on the head jokingly. Blossom tossed her head to the right, laughing along with Robin before things became serious once more.

"This is where you come in." Blossom said.

"You have to be our eyes and ears," Bubbles added, leaning in to her best friend, staring at her gravely, "Dark Witches are bad news... you have to be on the lookout for any girl at the school who acts strangely."

"Failing that," Blossom sighed, "look for anyone with fangs."

"_Fangs?_" Robin instantly paled, "why?"

"Vampires aren't the immortally dark romantics like in the movies," Bubbles huffed, rolling her eyes, "Boomer told us they're more like lackeys to the Dark Witches."

"So I gotta look out for any fanged students following around a strange girl in the school..." Robin nodded, winking, "gotcha."

* * *

><p>After the long winded conversation, the girls finished their coffees and hiked out of the shop, instantly intriguing themselves with other stores in the area. By the time the girls finally made their farewells, it was just past one in the afternoon, a full five hours later than they had told Buttercup it would take.<p>

The two Powerpuffs flew leisurely home, shopping bags strapped to their arms like bracelets. Bubbles lay on her back, staring at the clouds above her as she revelled in the feel of the warm afternoon breeze gently threading through her hair; "Do you think BC will be mad?" she asked, biting her lip as she thought of Buttercup's venomous gaze.

Blossom sighed, "If the guys are awake, it would be Buttercup's choice to stick around, she could have come into town and found us." Blossom reasoned, silently worrying whether there would be Hell to pay back home.

When the girls arrived home, they weren't in the least bit shocked to see a very angry Buttercup standing on the front porch, glaring at her sisters as if they'd committed some kind of felony.

"You said one hour!" Buttercup growled, instantly appearing by her sisters as they landed on the ground, "I've wasted five fucking hours of my life playing babysitter to four stupid teenagers!"

Blossom blinked, "they've been asleep all this time?"

"Nuclear warfare wouldn't wake 'em." Buttercup growled lowly to herself, "I know this spell or whatever it was made them tired, but this is just crazy!"

"Have they stirred at all?" Bubbles asked, already half way through the front door. She was immediately given her answer when she saw the three sleeping brothers in the living room, sprawled on various pieces of furniture; "It must have been a pretty powerful spell."

"On the plus side," Blossom smiled, attempting to force her gaze away from Brick's peaceful form, "Robin is going to help us out on the Witch front... any weird activity going on and we'll know."

"In the mean time... can we trust anyone?" Bubbles asked unsurely as the girls silently walked past their sleeping counterparts and entered the kitchen.

"That's true," Buttercup agreed, "if anyone at the school could be the Dark Witch, we can't trust anyone."

Bubbles' eyes widened in shock as she leant against the small island counter in the centre of their kitchen, "does that mean we shouldn't trust Robin? What if she's the-"

"We've known her too long for that kind of thing to have happened," Blossom assured, waving off the hysteria that she could feel creeping down her back like a second skin, "We can trust her,"

"Or can we?" Buttercup asked, opening the fridge as she fished out a soda, popping the can in the pocket of silence she obtained from her question; "let's face it, if there really is a Dark Witch at our school, then they could mask themselves as anything, anyone... the closer to the power, the better. Let's face it..." Buttercup took a swig of her drink, "We may all be royally screwed."

* * *

><p>Could it be true? Is there a chance that Robin is the Witch? How can the girls go back to school when anyone could be the enemy? ...And how will Boomer and Bubbles' date go? ^^ - :D Find out soon! x<p> 


	10. Dates & Plans

Okay, this is short, but I'll try to make a longer chapter next time. This is just delving a little further into the Bubbles/Boomer relationship and tying up a few loose ends with the whole 'plan' that the supers have made. - With a little something special melded in there too - :) Thank you guys soooo much for the reviews! You're amazing! xXx

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><p><em>Chapter 10<em>

"I'm really glad we came here," Bubbles smiled as she leant into the crook of Boomer's neck. The two blonde supers had gone to the park later that afternoon to bask in the serene tranquillity that sat just on the outskirts of Townsville. A place where you could fade away. But this time, Bubbles could fade away with Boomer.

_Together._

Boomer smiled as he felt Bubbles' presence at his side. He liked how she felt against him, how she seemed to fit into him like a missing puzzle piece. Boomer had no idea how insightful Bubbles had become in the years that he had been separated from her, how deep her mind really drove. She seemed to have endless thoughts about everything that seemed to matter. Boomer smiled as he leant against the sturdy oak they had sat themselves under, enjoying their closeness. "I thought it was the best place to go, on account of all the crap we've put you under." Boomer sighed, turning to look at Bubbles, "you shouldn't have been caught up in all of this."

Bubbles shifted slightly, leaning on her right arm as she looked at Boomer with an honest smile, "I don't mind." She beamed, stretching against the oak herself, "I've been opened up to a world that I didn't know existed. It's amazing."

"Not all of it." Boomer muttered grimly.

Bubbles sighed, "Vampires and Dark Witches I guess... but what about the fairies?"

Boomer raised a brow to the way Bubbles' voice hitched when she reached that word. He couldn't help but chuckle. Though she had matured greatly, there was still a child in there somewhere. A child hoping that her fairy tales had come true.

"They're annoying, but they aren't evil." He assured.

"Do they have wings?" Bubbles asked in intrigue.

"Some. Depends on the species." Boomer expanded, chuckling as Bubbles leant back against him.

"What sorts of species are there then?" Bubbles asked, nuzzling her face against his shoulder as she stared out at the deep blue sky before her eyes.

"Well, there's the traditional species, the one that tends to paint the story books, but then there are others... the trouble makers... they don't have wings, they're like little imps, long winding tails, sharp teeth." Boomer shuddered just thinking of them, "they're annoying."

"They hurt people?" Bubbles wondered aloud, her voice wary for the answer.

Boomer sighed, looking away from the blonde haired girl as she attempted to bore her gaze into his, seeking the honest answer from his lips. "Sometimes, but only as a prank."

Bubbles frowned, "Hell of a prank."

Boomer laughed, leaning his head on hers, "Yeah..."

They stayed that way for a while, just sitting there, fit into each other as they watched the world before them. Then, the silence was broken with a very unsure, quiet voice.

"Have you had a girlfriend before?"

Boomer felt his heart stop when the question hit his mind. He sighed, looking towards Bubbles as she looked away, fearful for the answer.

"We've never had the time..." Boomer confessed honestly, "When you are constantly moving around the Globe to protect your sister..." Boomer rubbed the back of his neck, feeling his heart twist uncomfortably in his chest, "girls don't really like that kind of behaviour."

"That and you were evil." Bubbles pointed out dejectedly.

"Maybe I still am," Boomer muttered, folding his arms. He hated to admit it, but he killed humans. Dark Witch or no it didn't matter in his head. They were still _human. _Some of them hadn't even started out as evil. Some of them had been Good... some of them hadn't been witches at all. Some of them were converted by the simplest of temptations. And Boomer was destroying them. Even though he and his brothers hadn't destroyed a City since they had become Guardians... none of it hardly mattered. Not to him.

Bubbles saw the pain in his eyes as the words left his lips. His body physically sank further into the grip of the tender oak as he looked away from the Powerpuff. Bubbles felt a deep pity for Boomer and honestly... she didn't know what to do about it.

Bubbles smiled, "I'll be here."

Boomer looked up, "what?"

Bubbles shrugged, looking at the Rowdyruff with her glistening oceanic eyes, "I don't care what you have to do... I don't care that you're on the move. What I _do _care about is you." Bubbles pushed herself against Boomer, threading her fingers through his as her face moved mere inches between his. "I'll be here for you."

Boomer's eyes widened as he felt himself lean in towards Bubbles as their lips met in a fiery passion. He closed his eyes, fading away from the world and closer to Bubbles. The two blondes sat there, under the protection of the looming oak as they held each other in a kiss that washed away their doubts. Their minds became blank slates once more as they pulled away from each other, staring silently into each other's eyes.

"W-Wow..." Bubbles stuttered, breathlessly, "that was-"

"Wait," Boomer cut off the blonde as he suddenly closed his eyes, placing two fingers to his forehead as he seemed to fall into deep concentration. Bubbles stared obliviously.

"Man," Boomer muttered under his breath as he opened his eyes, looking back to Bubbles, "Blade wants us back at your house, they're making a plan."

Bubbles blinked, surprised at what she had just witnessed, "wait... Blade told you that, through her _mind?_"

Boomer shrugged, helping Bubbles to her feet with a sturdy arm, "did we forget to mention that part? Yet another ability thanks to being a Guardian." Boomer sighed sarcastically as Bubbles chuckled quietly, holding onto his hand with a warm smile, "has she never heard of a cell phone?"

Boomer grinned as the two blondes rose into the air, "you'd think so wouldn't you?"

* * *

><p>When the two blonde supers arrived back at the Powerpuff household, they heard talking from the Kitchen so they eagerly made their way inside. Once inside they saw Blade propped up on one of the kitchen counters, being made centre of attention instantly.<p>

"Glad you two made it," Blade said, rolling her eyes.

Blossom smiled, turning towards the two, "how was your...?"

"Fine." Both supers answered together, neither of them making eye contact with any of their siblings.

Buttercup stuck her tongue out, facing away, "oh please, I can practically smell the love in the air."

"Great, so it's not just me." Butch smirked sarcastically, looking towards Buttercup who turned away in response.

"Anyway!" Blade rose her voice, looking at her three brothers and then at her three supposed sisters, "Like I said, as soon as we get back to school we have to act completely as normal. No suspicious looks to give us away, whoever this Dark Witch is they _don't _know they're being hunted yet."

"Remember," Brick reminded, straightening his hat as he took a step away from Blossom and further into the centre of the room, "Everyone has got to be vigilant, anyone in this room could have already made contact with the Witch, anyone is a target." Brick nodded towards the startled Powerpuffs, folding his arms in finality, "don't trust anyone."

Blossom and Bubbles shared a guilty look which didn't go unnoticed. Brick saw the change in the pink Powerpuff's gaze before she'd even become aware of it. She was hiding something, of that, Brick could be sure.

"What?" Brick asked unsurely, hating the fact that Blossom was hiding something, at such a point, these things couldn't go unnoticed.

Blossom shrugged, "It's not a big deal... we may have shared the secret with _one _person, but we trust her completely!"

Blade glared at her sibling, grinding her teeth silently behind poised lips, "Who?"

Blossom sighed, instantly aware of the many eyes staring at her. She rubbed the back of her neck nervously, leaning further against the kitchen counter. She felt her stomach twist as she opened her mouth unsurely, "Robin."

"The brunette who used to help you guys?" Butch scoffed.

Bubbles glared at the green eyed Rowdyruff, "She _still _helps us." Bubbles corrected earnestly, "and we trust her."

Blade looked up to her brothers, "still, look out for trouble. Keep an eye on that girl. Just in case."

The three boys nodded in unison. Buttercup squirmed. It was unnatural for those boys to be under Blade's power so easily. Sure, they were her _Guardians, _but Blade had been controlling them long before. And it was all _her _fault. If she hadn't added that extra spice... Hell, if she hadn't thought of making a new Powerpuff in the first place... none of this would have ever happened. The Rowdyruffs would still be their enemies and no one would have been gifted with seriously creepy supernatural powers. Buttercup attempted to look away from the boys, holding her body in her arms as she thought of them, hating how her sisters had given in so easily. How everyone was trusting everyone when they didn't even know the whole picture.

But then...

Buttercup looked up. Her eye twitching as she felt something move past her line of vision. She looked up to the window that stood behind Blade and just for a split _second... _she was almost positive she saw a face accompanied by a fountain of blonde curls. _Staring _at them. Silently. Like a Ghost.

Then...

She was gone.

"BC?" Buttercup blinked as she heard Bubbles' voice from across the room. Both her sisters were looking at her in concern, "you okay?"

Buttercup shrugged, "as good as I can be considering our lives have gone to shit."

"Buttercup..." Blossom began, an almost sympathetic look in her eyes.

Buttercup shook her head, pushing herself from the counter, "screw it." She snarled, "I just wanna sleep... just..." Buttercup reached the archway that led into the hall. She refused to look back at the group of people she was forced to trust. She just couldn't do it... "...let me sleep."

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><p>OoOo, who is the mystery girl? :) Until next time! Thanks for the reviews! xXx<p> 


	11. Green Feelings

Alright you Buttercup/Butch fans, this one's for you! Well... not really, 'cause... well you'll see! :) Thanks so much for the reviews, I hope you enjoy this installment.

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><p><em>Chapter 11<em>

Buttercup remained silent for the most part of Sunday, staying out of everyone's way as if they each had a death wish. She spent most of her time at the park, sitting on one of the highest branches of the oldest tree she could find. It sat somewhere in the direct centre of the park and overlooked a large section of Townsville. Buttercup watched as children played and as adults went on with their lives. It was strange to think that she was truly never going to have a _normal _life... not that she wanted it, but nonetheless, it was a surprise to realise it. That she was different from the people around her. Sure, Townsville knew of the Powerpuff Girls and most of the world embraced and accepted that fact, but now part of that world had expanded farther than even she could have imagined. Witches, Werewolves, _Vampires... _Fairies, Goblins, Demons, fucking Griffins for all she knew were flying about. Maybe even a talking Gargoyle sitting on a church building or Gremlins that ran about after dark.

It was the first time she'd really thought about it...

That she knew... so _little _of the world.

"Oi,"

Buttercup's eyes drew to slits as she gazed down upon the earth, spotting Butch no problem from the height she was at, "Go away Butch." Buttercup growled, looking back towards the Town.

Sadly, her view was blocked in moments by the devilish ebony haired teen with deep emerald eyes. He floated in front of her, arms crossed, a slight smirk painted across his features. "Not gonna happen." He grinned.

Buttercup looked at him and sighed, "I really can't be bothered anymore."

Butch nodded, looking up at the Town, "I get it, you're depressed right?"

Buttercup looked at him, venom in her eyes. He had no right to insinuate that... even if it _was _true. "No!" She lied.

Butch rolled his eyes, not asking for permission as he rudely placed himself next to her on the branch, "you're depressed 'cause you don't feel angry anymore."

Buttercup raised a brow in intrigue on his words. Honestly, she felt this was the first true sentence he'd spoken to her without some form of curse word or aggression since they day they first met. "So what if it is?" she shot back, interested in hearing a reply.

Butch shrugged, "its how I felt at first... you spend your entire life with this aggression built into you and then you face it," Butch looked towards Buttercup, his eyes narrowed ever so slightly, "reality."

"Being a Guardian?" Buttercup asked, attempting to sound uninterested, "It's tough huh?"

Buttercup could see the motion behind Butch's lips; he was obviously grinding his teeth, fighting back some form of emotion. He looked away from her tiredly, placing his gaze across the street, anywhere but near her, "we were bad kids," Butch muttered, "and we still felt like that even after we were given this cur- _responsibility._" Butch was most defiantly fighting back an emotion now, something deeper than Buttercup had seen on him before. Was it... could she possibly go as far as saying she saw a real... sadness within her counterpart?

Butch sighed, closing his eyes as he tried to gather his emotions, store them back for a time Buttercup wouldn't see. "If you were given supernatural powers, powers that were even more incredible than what you had before... and you were like us..." Butch opened his eyes, "but had to use them to look after someone, to use them for good... after all those _years._" Butch groaned, "It fucking sucks."

Buttercup smiled, rolling her eyes, "you get to kick Witch ass right?"

Butch frowned, "doesn't matter. We used to vandalize and destroy Towns but we never tried to kill."

Buttercup's smile vanished. _Now _she got it. Not only were the Rowdyruffs going against the nature implanted into them by both Mojo and _Him, _they were going a step further. They were forced to kill for _good. _That would have to seriously mess a guy up. "And Blade?" Buttercup asked awkwardly.

Butch shot her a look, a look she didn't like. His face was filled with accusations, with a darkness she didn't want to see. "You should know that. She's different."

Buttercup frowned, "Wait so she-"

"-Doesn't care." Butch visibly slumped against the branch, "she never has."

Buttercup blinked.

_Spice is what gives us our brute force!_

_Do you have any idea how reckless that was!_

_It's my fault._

_Too much spice._

_I added too much spice!_

Buttercup grimaced, feeling her eyes sting as she awkwardly swiped at her face, forcing the tears back into her skull. It was _her _fault that the boys had been cursed.

"You see don't you?" Butch sighed, folding his arms, "all this time you haven't trusted us, yet you're the one who made her who she is... who _we _are."

Buttercup felt her heart sink into her stomach as she watched Butch's eyes blaze. He didn't say a word after that; he just looked at her, into her soul.

Buttercup felt a fierce shudder of regret pool into her chest as she doubled over on the branch, almost losing her balance as she covered her face with her hands. "I'm... I'm sorry." Buttercup breathed out, refusing to look at Butch.

Butch's eyes lost their intense glow as he sat next to her, watching her pain radiate from her body like a wounded animal. He grimaced, suddenly feeling a new emotion take hold of his system. Did he feel sorry for her?

Could he feel sorry for her?

She'd played a part in giving them a curse like no other and yet... as he looked at her, completely falling apart all he wanted to do was...

"I know you are." Butch muttered, feeling his arm suddenly thread around her as his violent counterpart, the spice of the Powerpuff girls, the vicious green eyed monster of a teen... voluntarily leant into his side. She sought comfort. And though every fabric of his being was yelling at him to stop... he couldn't pull away.

So they just sat there.

Together.

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><p>And that's when the girls reached Monday, the end of their weekend and a definite end to any hopes in believing they weren't caught up in a literal Witch hunt. Blade and the boys had left on Sunday, but Buttercup could still feel Butch's arms around her shoulders as if they'd never left that spot on the branch. Could it be possible that she was actually starting to feel something other than hatred towards her counterpart?<p>

It seemed easy enough for Blossom and Bubbles to forgive their counterparts, however in some weird way they both had a history with each other. Buttercup's determination on destroying Butch had always been too great to even notice _who _he was other than a brutal, aggressive immature little kid.

But now he'd grown up... he wasn't a little kid any more, he was a handsome young teenage boy with locks of thick ebony hair and a gaze that seemed to melt the hearts of all the girls in school. Not to mention the fact that he still kept up a seemingly bad-boy behaviour. This wouldn't be the last time they met in detention, Buttercup suspected.

"Feeling any better?" Blossom asked as the girls walked to school that morning. Buttercup felt her skin crawl as she sensed the mournful looks that her sisters were giving her. She hated the fact that they felt sorry for her. Hell, she thought they _all _felt that way. Turns out she was the only one left at the crazy train platform.

"Sure," Buttercup shrugged, smiling at her siblings; "Sorry about that whole tantrum I pulled off on Saturday."

Bubbles smiled, obviously relieved that Buttercup had come to some kind of sense about the whole situation. A Dark Witch was an enemy they had never come across before, and an enemy that seemed impossible to defeat. They had to each be in the game, because if they weren't, something told Bubbles that the Witch wouldn't care. Either way, they'd be game.

"Where did you disappear to yesterday?" Blossom asked abruptly, smiling slightly. Buttercup felt her heart skip a beat. Was it possible that Brick had mentioned something to Blossom? Was it possible that they were each aware that one of their siblings had vanished...?

"No where important," Buttercup shot back, hating the feeling of her siblings cold stares.

"Really?" Blossom asked.

"Really!" Buttercup growled, narrowing her eyes as she sped up slightly, "can we like, not talk about this anymore!"

Blossom and Bubbles looked at each other with small smiles before they nodded teasingly and carried on their walk in silence.

By the time they got to school, Buttercup's regrets had seemingly intensified. This day wouldn't be a normal day of school. This wouldn't be any old football practice, teenage troubles, hormone packed day. This was an actual Witch Hunt... she was being driven into school to scour the buildings for someone that didn't fit in, someone that displayed something special, someone evil.

How the Hell was _that _going to happen? This was a school, half the kids were evil! Buttercup watched as her sister's eyes instantly began scanning the area. Something told her they were more interested in finding their counterparts than this Witch at the moment.

Buttercup sighed. She guessed it was only her that wanted to forget the time she had spent with her counterpart.

Was she supposed to call him a friend now?

No... No she refused to call him that. It was a moment of weakness and it would never happen again. Ever!

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><p>Buttercup had graciously given up her first period to go Witch hunting. Not that she really cared whether or not she found any strange activity, she just didn't want to go to Maths. God knows why she even took the subject. It was like a stake to the heart... but considering the new found evidence to the Vampire race, it turned out that saying didn't have the same impact as it had done a few days ago.<p>

Nonetheless, it gave Buttercup some time to think. She slunk around the corridors, sticking to the shadows that were drawn out by the lockers. There were no teachers about, no one to question her behaviour. She could have stuck to the outside to make being caught less of an option, but what would have been the fun in that?

Buttercup grinned as she leant against some lockers, staring out at a window that stood opposite from her. The greenery was perfectly preserved, no kids to ruin it. A perfect painting of what life was supposed to be, but obviously wasn't. God... this was so screwed up.

She tried not to think about it, to get her mind off of the plan, but disposing of that image simply brought back the larger picture.

The fact that she'd actually, subconsciously... without any thought in the matter... placed her head on Butch's shoulder. And more unnervingly, he hadn't _made fun of her _afterwards. He just flew away, saying it was getting late. They didn't speak of it afterwards, and certainly didn't say a word to their siblings. Their own little secret she guessed.

"BC, seriously, aren't you supposed to be in Maths?"

Buttercup blinked in surprise to hear Angela's voice from down the corridor. Buttercup rolled her eyes, turning her head to face the dark haired girl as she walked over to her best friend. "Since when did you care about education?"

Angela shrugged, grinning as she played with a strand of her hair, "Since never, that's why I cut History."

Buttercup looked at her with mocked shock, "Oh, the inhumanity!" she gasped sarcastically.

Angela laughed, shoving Buttercup playfully, "oh, whatever, besides, I'm actually doing something _important _with my time," Angela rolled her eyes, "I gotta show around my cousin, she's new to the school."

Buttercup raised a brow, "really?"

Angela grinned, lifting herself away from the lockers as she began to walk down the hall, "yes, really."

Buttercup shrugged, slinging her bag back onto her shoulder as she followed Angela before she disappeared down the hallway, "okay, I'll help then, it's not like there's much to do."

Angela looked to Buttercup for a second and frowned before she shook her head and nodded, rolling her shoulders easily, "Fine, but it's your funeral."

The girls began to chat as they went, about soccer practice, about what their weekends were like. Of course, Buttercup graciously missed out the parts about the Witch Hunts and of course the unnerving time she had spent with Butch. It gave Buttercup a sense of normality. It was nice to share that with Angela. They were – of course – alike in many ways.

"Oh, hey there she is, outside the office." Angela said, pointing over to a plastic chair that sat outside the sturdy door marked 'principle.'

Buttercup smiled, her gaze setting upon the figure in the chair. As her gaze met that of the blue eyed stranger, she felt her heart instantly plummet.

A girl in a blue tank top and jeans...

With blonde curls decorating her face like a picture frame.

Buttercup felt her limbs jam as she felt herself stop on the spot as if the floor was made of super glue.

Angela turned to Buttercup, giving her a 'What the Hell?' glare.

Buttercup's gaze just fixated on the girl as she smiled back, almost mockingly. She could almost see a _remember me? _Glare painted across her face.

No... God, _No!_

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><p><em>*GASP* <em>Cliffhanger! Aren't I a naughty girl? :3 Haha. Who is Angela's cousin? Why was she sniffing about the Powerpuff home! Is she the Witch! :OOO! Well, you'll just have to wait, won't you? ^^ Thanks for the reviews! They keep me a-going! xXx 'Til next time, GOODBYE!


	12. Hostage

I am _so _sorry! It's been a while hasn't it? :3 What with school starting back up and mounds of homework to do, not to mention essays. I don't like essays, or exams or coursework... I think if it was up to me they'd all be burnt along with the school itself and while I was at it all the twilight stuff and perhaps even Justin Bieber...

I'm getting side-tracked... what I really mean is HEY, don't hate me, here's chapter 12! :) Enjoy! It's short and quite dark but I hope you like it nonetheless! THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS I LOVE YOU ALLLLLL! 3 :D

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><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>

The child cocked her head to the side, standing up as she looked at Angela, the sarcasm in her gaze completely gone. "Hey, Angela." The girl smiled, walking over to her dark haired cousin as she completely ignored Buttercup. The girl was short, her features that of a child, she had to be at least two years younger than Angela.

"Hey Maddie," Angela greeted, looking back to Buttercup obliviously as she simply stood there, mouth a gape as she watched the blonde haired child.

She'd been outside the house, Buttercup was positive that she'd been there, outside their _house. _She'd been listening to their plans, to what they were going to do. She knew who they were...

That, or she was going completely insane. Buttercup threaded a hand through her unruly hair, taking a deep breath, yes... that was always an option. Perhaps she'd come down with a serious case of crazy.

Maddie looked to Buttercup then, her blue eyes scanning the features of the Powerpuff expertly. "You are afraid." Maddie stated rather bitterly, her tongue reaching out from her mouth as it traced her lips carefully, as if she were applying lipstick.

Then Buttercup saw it...

Not just the way that Angela seemed to look at Maddie, as if they knew something she didn't, but in the light from the window, one thing was completely and utterly clear to her.

Maddie had _fangs._

Her canines stretched thinly over her bottom lip as she pouted sarcastically at Buttercup. "Too bad, I kinda liked her."

Buttercup felt her legs go numb as she felt herself moving in reverse in a manic manner. Her eyes didn't leave the blonde, but at the same time... she didn't know whether she could even trust Angela.

A Vampire... that had to be a Vampire! But if _she _was a Vampire and she was hanging around Angela...?

Coincidence!

It had to be...

She'd known her for years for Christ sakes, this didn't just _happen. _She would have known, she would have seen _signs_.

Angela's gaze drew to Buttercup. She frowned, noticing her pale features towards a sudden realisation. Buttercup felt her stomach twist as she saw Angela's change in demeanour, the dark tone towards her gaze. Buttercup had to blink away the tears. Angela... her best friend suddenly looked... _evil._

"Kneel." Angela sighed, raising her right hand into the air.

Buttercup squealed as she felt a massive weight on her shoulders, pushing her to the floor. Oh God. Angela had done that... she'd really done that, she'd used, _magic? _Is that what it was?

"Angela," Buttercup hissed, "Fuck! Angela, please tell me that it's-"

"She's with the Hunter!" Maddie cried, her face so close to Buttercup she could feel her putrid, disused breath against her neck.

"And you're a Vampire!" Buttercup snarled, her eyes glowing a deeper, darker green than before.

"Whoa, no!" Angela cried, lifting her arms, her eyes darting from left to right, "we're in the middle of a school building, y'know... not the best place to start a fight."

Buttercup glowered at her once trusted friend, "Never stopped me before!" She growled, struggling against the invisible force that seemed to be keeping her in a knelt position on the floor; "How could you be-"

"Bad?" Angela glowered at Buttercup, folding her arms as she sighed, "you really listen to a spiced up ego-maniac and her three villainous brothers?"

Buttercup opened her mouth to speak but Angela simply cut her off, "you're going to ask how I know that, but I must remind you, I do my homework." Angela moved to Maddie, taking her by the shoulders and drawing her back, "if you must know, it's not a nice feeling to know you have people out there that want you dead."

Buttercup breathed out through her nose, forcing herself not to cry under the circumstances. She had to tell herself that Angela wasn't her friend... that she couldn't possibly be her friend, not after what she'd witnessed. But...

"So what? You're not evil then?" Buttercup had to ask, it had to be asked... otherwise, Hell, she sort of agreed with her!

Angela bit her lip, "would you trust me if I told you I wasn't here to hurt anyone?"

Buttercup looked at her friend, speechless. She sighed, lowering her gaze. "The Vampire... Blade told me that-"

"She really is my cousin," Angela assured curtly, "I don't just summon them, Maddie had a run-in with one of those blood-suckers."

Buttercup watched as Maddie glowered at her cousin, folding her arms rather childishly, "I have become much better off because of it!" she insisted.

Angela smiled, "the transformation was unexpected, we had no idea that she'd even been bitten until it was too late. That's why we transferred her to this school, so I can keep her safe from the likes of your so called _trusted _sibling."

Buttercup lowered her gaze at Angela, "she isn't trusted." She snarled, "and neither are you."

Angela smirked, "then you're in quite a predicament then aren't you?" she narrowed her gaze to Buttercup, her once vibrant amber eyes darkening as she looked down her nose at the Powerpuff, "stand."

Buttercup hissed as she felt her body involuntarily drag itself upwards. Despite the fact that she was now standing, she still felt as if she was tied with invisible shackles, keeping her under the will of her so called best friend.

"So you are aren't you?" Buttercup seethed, hating the fact that it had come to this, hating the fact that she even had to find out. God, she hated all of this. Fuck Witches; fuck this world she'd had to come into contact with! "A Dark Witch?"

Angela rolled her eyes as she walked around her friend, enjoying the fact that she was helpless, but at the same time feeling the smallest twinge of guilt towards her old friend. "It's not all bad," Angela muttered, "I got pulled into this whole thing after Maddie was bitten, it was when my mother decided to explain my heritage." Angela licked her upper lip in disgust, "Maddie was supposed to get the powers, but Vampires can't _be _Witches, so the family line moved to me."

Maddie smiled, showing off her perfect pearly fangs, "it all worked out for the best though," she grinned, "'cause now I get to live forever, now I get to taste the blood of a real Powerpuff girl!"

Buttercup cringed as the blonde haired child made a dash for her neck, only to sigh in relief as Angela grabbed her, pulling her back to her side. "The Powerpuff you need to look out for is Blade," Angela instructed her cousin, looking down her nose at Buttercup as she rolled her eyes tiredly, "Buttercup poses no threat," she grinned, "you have been of course my closest friend for years!"

Buttercup choked on the words that spread out of Angela's lips, grinding her teeth under her lay-about attitude; "you're going to _kill _Blade?"

Angela shrugged, "if she tries to kill me and Maddie then yes, but purely in self-defence."

"How can I believe that, you're a-"

"Friend!" Angela reminded briskly, growling to herself as if she was tired with the conversation. She drew back a moment from Buttercup, recalculating her actions. Her amber eyes were now blazing with an unused fury, her fists scrunched into balls as she punched furiously at the wall, leaving behind a gaping hole in the school's paint work. "We're supposed to be _friends, _don't you remember?" Buttercup flinched as Angela moved forwards, staring into her emerald gaze with what was best described as manic desperation, "The boys made fun of us 'cause we were the only girls who wanted to join the soccer team... we always confided in each other! I gave you dating advice for God's sake," Angela rolled her eyes to her last remark, "not that it came in any handy..." Angela drew away from her words, watching Buttercup's face redden as she forced her gaze away from her ex-best friend. "Oh!" Angela smiled, "you like someone? About fucking time!"

Buttercup growled lowly, "you're holding me hostage, is this really the time?"

"It is when I can smell Butch's scent on your skin," Angela hissed, tapping her nose vacantly, "funny thing about Witches, they have brilliant senses. Although, going for that half-whit punk will be the death of you," Angela traced her front teeth with her tongue, winking at the green Powerpuff, "quite literally."

Buttercup felt her face heat up with rage. For some reason she couldn't quite comprehend she actually felt _hurt _when Angela spoke badly of Butch. Surely... she wasn't actually starting to gain feelings for the kid? He was... he was... everything she hated! Of course he was, the little black haired punk! Buttercup mentally shook her head, looking back at Blade viciously, "shut the fuck up."

"Oh and there it is again!" Angela teased, "the _rage _of the spice, though you're nothing compared to Blade are you? All that spice... and who's fault was that?"

Angela narrowly ducked a sudden swipe at her face from the raging Powerpuff, "naughty," Angela scowled, her gaze moving to her Vampire cousin, "Maddie," she instructed, "please restrain our lovely hostage."

Buttercup refrained from crying out as Maddie appeared at her back, twisting her arms painfully behind her as she held her there. Angela smiled victoriously as she withdrew her Blackberry from her pocket, typing in a quick text message.

"What's that for?" Buttercup hissed.

"Hostage note... that's what they do in the movies anyways," Angela chuckled, sliding her phone back into her pocket. "You see, you're coming with me, as _bait."_ Angela placed a hand on Buttercup's shoulder. Buttercup physically shook as Angela's cold flesh hit hers, gripping onto her so hard she had to stop herself from whimpering.

"What makes you think they'll come?" Buttercup hissed.

"Oh sweetie, like I said, your sisters protect you like Blade and her brothers. They'll come."

"What happened to not hurting anyone?" Buttercup cried.

Angela frowned, "Oh... sorry BC, turns out I forgot to tell you something," Buttercup gasped as she watched Angela's eyes turn completely black, like soulless black holes looking to suck up anything in its path. Angela grinned, "Dark Witches _lie._"

And with that, the three girls were absorbed in a black light, their bodies vanishing from the confides of Townsville High.

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><p>Yup, Angela's the Witch. I wonder how the Puffs and Ruffs will react to the omnious text? Will Butch give a damn about Buttercup being taken hostage! DUN DUN DUNN, you'll find out in the next chapter! :D Reviews are love which is why I love you, my reviews! Duh! ^^ XxxxXXxxxxXxx Cya!<p> 


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